Rigoletto
Summary: *Loosely based on the movie* During a stormy evening, Cedric tells Sofia the story of Rigoletto, an outcast who was often underestimated based on his outward façade with a heart hidden away from everyone, except from one remarkable girl who saw him for who he really was. (Similar to my "Read Me a Story" series)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or Rigoletto.
A/N: Sorry the first chapter was so short. I just wanted to set up the main scene, showing what's going on in the "present day" versus the story-telling aspect. In this chapter, you'll see basically exactly what the title says: a wish. :) Enjoy!
*Story*
Chapter 2: A Dreamer's Wish
A few years ago…
Rigoletto, a well-respected sorcerer of master caliber, lived and practiced his art of magic in a little-known kingdom. He was admired by all, especially those closest to him: his assistant and his closest and dearest friend, a kind-hearted princess with a soft spot for the sorcerer. With the love and attention from these two in his life, Rigoletto believed he could conquer the world of magic easily.
Unfortunately, one day tragedy struck when an evil entity attacked their kingdom and destroyed their lives forever. Ultimately, the three friends were the only survivors and managed to escape, seeking out a new kingdom to inhabit and rebuild their lives. However, the experience had changed Rigoletto's perspective on people: he now trusted few if any. He didn't understand the concept of happiness; it turned his heart cold and guarded, even often from his two closest companions.
As they settled down in a new kingdom, the weary sorcerer's friends realized something. Rigoletto's bitterness had caused him to seem rather harsh and ugly with others. It was as if a curse had been placed on him, causing him anguish and despair. Only a truly kind and caring soul would be able to change his perspective, but it would certainly not be easy… Then again, most things worth fighting for rarely were.
Current Day
"Hey, North Star? Me again…" A young girl named Sofia sighed as she stared out the window of her small cottage that she and her family lived in. It was quaint yet comfortable and full of love. They didn't exactly have much in their current situation, but they had each other. She continued her star gazing as she spoke quietly. "I know I make this wish a lot, but it's really the one thing I want more than anything else." She sighed, leaning her head into her hands. "I really want to be great at magic. I've been practicing since I was little, and every year I try my hardest at the Young Magic Wielders Competition, but…I can never beat that girl Lucinda. Of course, her being a witch probably gives her an advantage, but still…"
She shrugged thoughtfully as she sat up straighter. She felt like the star was listening to her in some way. But that was silly, wasn't it? "Even if I don't beat Lucinda this year…or next year…or ever, I just wish…someone would understand how much this means and actually encourage me or even help me. There's got to be someone out there who loves magic as much as I do." She glanced back toward her sleeping siblings James and Amber, who were oblivious to the world (as evidenced by James's loud snoring). She smiled softly before looking up at the star once more. "I know I won't find that person here in my own family, but still… Maybe one day, right?" She yawned before leaving the window sill and walking back to the bed she shared with Amber, lying down and pulling the covers over herself and willing herself to sleep.
Unbeknownst to the family, the North Star shimmered brightly for a few seconds before returning to normal.
Wish granted.
The next morning, Sofia awoke before the rest of her family and moved about quickly, dressing for the day and preparing her materials. She was up against the only other magic enthusiast in the kingdom (Lucinda) today, and she was anxious to see the results. Sure, Lucinda always won, but she'd been practicing much harder this year. Maybe she stood a chance!
"Mom! Dad!" Sofia knocked on their door. "The competition is in an hour!"
"Okay, Sofia," her mother's groggy voice replied from the other side of the door. "We're coming."
Sofia squealed in excitement before rushing over and shaking awake her siblings. "James, Amber, get up! It's almost time!"
"Agh," James whined as he opened his eyes. "I was having a dream about a big bowl of ice cream, Sof."
"That's nothing," Amber replied as she sat up, trying to tame her messy hair. "I had a dream I was riding on a unicorn!"
"Hah, ice cream versus unicorns," the boy returned with a grin. "Classic."
Within the hour, the family of five arrived at the competition in their small village. There was a surprising turn out for only two contestants.
Miranda, Sofia's mother, placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You can do it, Sofia," she enthused. "Don't even worry about the outcome. Just enjoy yourself."
"I will, Mom."
"Go show that Lucinda what real magic looks like," Roland, her father, added with a cheesy grin.
The girl giggled. "Okay, Dad. I'll do my best!" She grabbed her wand from her pocket and hurried off to her designated spot.
"Well, well, well," a sugary voice teased as a purple-clad girl floated down on her broomstick. "My only competition arrives at last."
Despite feeling a little intimidated, Sofia smiled pleasantly. "Hi, Lucinda. Good luck with the competition."
Lucinda just smiled lazily. "Luck? Sofia, I don't need luck—not when I've got magic on my side." She grinned widely when the announcer stepped forward. "Try not to choke!" She then flew off toward her own designated spot.
"Grr," the other girl grumbled under her breath. "Even when I try to be nice, she has to turn everything around and be mean to me. I'll never understand that."
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer began pleasantly, "welcome to our annual Young Magic Wielders Competition. This year we have…our usual two candidates." He gestured between the two. "Miss Lucinda and Miss Sofia, both of our very own village of Dunwiddie. Girls, upon the count of three, you'll both recite the spell to make this—" He held up two different bananas. "—bounce high into the air."
Sofia beamed. "I know that spell!" She hummed happily as the man placed the banana on the ground before her before doing the same for Lucinda. "Oh, this is much easier than I thought."
Lucinda smirked as she noticed the auburn-haired girl's seemingly confident smile. "Don't celebrate too soon, princess. We still have two other challenges after this."
The man counted to three, and both girls recited their spell at the same time.
"Bounciglius!"
Both bananas began bouncing equally as well, much to the onlookers' surprise. Usually Lucinda would do even marginally better than Sofia, but both girls seemed to be matched this time around.
"Very good. Wands reset and wait for your next command." The man used his own wand to rid the area of the bananas before placing a red book in front of each girl. "Your next task is to change the color of your books to green. Wait for my count."
Sofia had a minor panic moment. She couldn't remember the spell for color changing! Glancing upward, she seemed to seek an answer from the floating clouds before gasping. "I remember," she whispered happily. She lifted her wand as the man counted once more.
"Mutata viridi," Sofia declared, changing the book to green successfully. She laughed happily.
Meanwhile, Lucinda pointed her own wand and stated, "By witch's decree, you now shall be green!" And thus the book was now green.
The announcer chuckled. "Two different spells, yet they both wielded the same results. Interesting, right?"
"Not really," Amber yawned before sighing as James nudged her.
"We're here for Sofia's moral support, right?" the boy urged his twin. "So start moraling!"
"You mean supporting?"
"That too! Go, Sof!" A rounded of shushes found their way to James's ears, and he blushed lightly in embarrassment as he grinned sheepishly. "Sorry…"
Sofia smiled gratefully toward her brother before nodding. She looked at Lucinda, who just rolled her eyes and twirled her wand once. "Mm…"
"And our last test today, young ladies, is the vanishing spell. Simply aim your wands at one of the boulders in front of you—thank you, Henri and Francois, for your assistance with those—and make them disappear. Ready?"
The girls nodded affirmatively and lifted their wands.
"One, two, three!"
"Disappear-o!" "Disappoint-o!"
Lucinda's boulder vanished, while Sofia's simply cracked in half and fell over.
The crowd gasped.
Lucinda started laughing. "Disappoint-o, indeed! Whoever heard of that kind of spell? Must be a subconscious thing." She grinned as the announcer handed her the winning trophy. "Face it, Sofia. You'll never match up to me. Leave the magic to the witches and warlocks of the land, huh?" Still laughing, she turned and left as the crowd dispersed.
"Sofia, what happened?" Roland asked kindly as he walked up to the downtrodden girl.
The auburn-haired child turned and hugged her father tightly, sniffling. "I tried, Dad… I really did, but I'm no match for Lucinda. She's right."
Roland stroked her hair gently. "She may have been born with the gift of magic, but you were born with the heart for it. As much as I'll never understand your interest in it, I'd never deter you from it."
Sofia smiled as she looked up at him. "What are you saying, Dad?"
James grinned and struck a dramatic pose. "He's saying just try harder and beat that little witch at her own game next time!"
Miranda chuckled as she gathered the family together and they began walking. "All right, everyone. Who's for some late breakfast?"
"Ooh, goldenberry pancakes sound really good right about now," Amber suggested.
Roland nodded. "I agree."
Miranda laughed. "You would. Goldenberry pancakes it is."
James nudged Sofia as they walked. "Cheer up, Sof. You'll do better next time."
Sofia smiled at her brother. "Thanks, James."
"Sofia!"
The girl turned and gasped in surprise as her best friend, Vivian, plowed into her and gave her a hug. "Vivian! You made it." She looked toward the dark-haired girl. "So…you saw?"
"I saw Lucinda gloating about how 'perfect' her spells are," the taller girl stated with a sigh. "I'm sorry you have to put up with her and her negativity."
"I don't believe Lucinda is all bad. I think there's a good little witch in her somewhere just waiting to be set free."
The girl giggled at her friend's reasoning and began walking with her as they caught up to Sofia's family again. "Always looking on the bright side, as usual."
James glanced toward the girls and grinned when he saw the addition. "Vivian."
"James."
Sofia rolled her eyes good naturedly before smiling and following them.
After breakfast, the four kids begged Miranda to take them on a walk near the mountains, like they always did on pleasant days like this. She agreed as Roland decided to get some work around the house done.
As they ventured a bit farther from the village and to the other side of the mountain, they came across a curious sight.
"Hey, isn't that the Merlin Mansion?" James asked as he pointed toward a looming building in the distance.
It was situated on the side of the mountain, overlooking the expanse of the kingdom. From the chimney was a steady stream of smoke, suggesting that someone had a fire going. The windows were illuminated with light.
"Yeah," Sofia added. "It's usually abandoned… Someone sure fixed it up in a hurry."
"I'll say," Miranda murmured. "It was empty just yesterday." She looked up when she heard a roll of thunder. "All right, kids. Looks like our good weather is going away. We need to head back. Vivian, we'll walk you to your house."
She laughed nervously. "You don't have to do that. I can make it home okay."
"Don't be silly," Sofia stated. "It's been a while since we've seen Mr. Marcus and Mrs. Cecily anyway."
Vivian sighed. "O-Okay… If you really want to."
Amber nudged James lightly, getting his attention. She nodded toward the dark-haired girl and gave the boy a questioning look. Seeing him merely shrug, she shook her head. Something wasn't quite right.
Sofia and her family arrived at Vivian's house and watched as she hurried toward her door. "Bye, Vivian!" Sofia called with a smile.
Vivian waved before seeing the door open before her. "Dad?" she asked in curiosity, not used to seeing him home so early. Usually he was out looking for work.
Marcus nodded before ushering her inside. "You're late. Your mother has lunch ready, and we've been waiting for you." He nodded toward Miranda and the kids. "Thanks, Miranda."
"Any time, Marcus."
Vivian sighed and walked inside as her father followed her.
Sofia frowned before taking her mother's hand. "Why is Mr. Marcus so grumpy, Mom? He used to be so nice."
"He lost his job a few months ago, and he's a bit stressed about how he's going to take care of his family. Or at least that's what your father told me."
"He shouldn't take it out on Vivian," Amber remarked firmly with a frown. "It isn't right."
"I know, Amber. Don't be too quick to judge though. We don't know how we would react if we were in his shoes. Just remember that everyone has some good in them—even Mr. Marcus still. One day things will improve. You'll see."
Sofia smiled at her mother's encouraging words and nodded. She was right. Things seemed a bit dismal now and the weather was stormy, but even after the heaviest storm the sunshine still seeped through again.
The next day was nice and sunny again. A rather boisterous man named Magnus was sitting with his neighbor Cecily, Vivian's mother, and discussing some strange goings-on he'd seen about the village.
"I'm telling you, Cecily," Magnus began dramatically, gesturing grandly as he told his story, "weird things are happening around here. Things have gone missing. Random zaps of things just go flying around. Some people are getting hurt and don't even see it coming."
"What do you think is causing it?" the dark-haired woman asked, her eyes tired yet full of concern. It was enough dealing with her husband's lack of work issues, but now adding yet another thing on top of it? Fantastic.
"I don't think it's a what. I think it's a who. And when I find out who's causing so much trouble, I'm going to deal with him personally."
Meanwhile, in a local shop the villagers shared, a man named Slickwell was stocking his supplies and humming pleasantly. He turned when a blonde woman walked inside. "Ah, good morning, Miss Nettle. You're looking lovely this morning."
"Can it with the flattery, Slicky," she said firmly, folding her arms. She then floated off the ground with her wings—seeing as she was in fact a fairy—and attempted an intimidation method on the brown-haired man. "What are you up to?"
He blinked innocently. "Whatever do you mean? …And could you stop hovering over me like that? It's unnerving."
Blue eyes glared into his. "Good. I'll have you know, magic is nothing to mess around with. Sure, you know a few spells. Good for you. But if you start misusing it, people are going to get hurt, or worse: suspicious. I won't have it said that Miss Nettle is conspiring to cause trouble. Not this time anyway."
Slickwell laughed. "Relax, Nettle. No one suspects anything. And besides, it's not like I'm doing anything wrong or dangerous."
She put her hands on her hips. "You stole lollipops from two children yesterday, knocked Baileywick down when he was serving tea to his guests, and overcooked the pheasant at supper. That's uncalled for!"
"The pheasant?"
"All of it, perhaps?" She withdrew her wand and pointed it at him. "Stop misusing magic. Don't forget that there are those of us more powerful than you around here, and I'm not about to have them outlawing magic because of the likes of you. For example, there's a sorcerer who's just moved into the mansion on the side of the mountain."
"Ah, yes, this 'Cedric the Sensational' as I've heard him described. Seems a tad ghastly for a name, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled as she glared at him. "What?"
"You're not listening, Slickwell. Don't you ever take things seriously?"
"Only when they benefit me. But tell me, what do you know of this newcomer sorcerer anyway?"
"He's wealthy, he's powerful, and he's reclusive. No one knows much else about him."
"Hmm, I wonder why…" He frowned in thought before shrugging. "Guess we'll know when the time is right. Now, away with you, Miss Nettle. Go hover over someone else."
"Grr, just do as I told you and stop messing around with magic before you do something you'll regret." She huffed and turned, storming out of his store.
Slickwell rolled his eyes and returned to his work. Like he was going to take orders from a fairy.
Sofia laughed as she raced her dad through the trees and up the side of the mountain. "Hurry, Dad!" she called playfully. "I'm going to beat you!"
"I concede," Roland panted as he finally caught up with her. "Whew, you're fast for such a little girl."
"I'm not that little! I'm growing an inch every little while, Mom said. Soon I'll be as tall as you!"
"Hmm. Maybe." He glanced up as they walked on, noticing the mansion his family had discussed previously. "I see what you were talking about. It does look a lot better. And there must be someone living there…"
"We should go welcome them!" Sofia took off running toward the mansion without a second thought.
Roland gasped. "Sofia, wait!" He chased after her and finally caught up to her just as she'd knocked on the door. "Sofia, we can't just go knocking on peoples' doors like that. It might be seen as rude or intrusive."
"We're just saying hi, Dad. Nothing rude about that." She smiled up at him and then gasped when the door opened, revealing a taller brown-haired man with a monocle resting against his face. "Um, hi?"
"May I help you?" he asked.
"My daughter knocked before I could get to her. She just wanted to greet our new neighbors, but we're sorry if we disturbed you," Roland added.
The man looked between both of them before chuckling lightly. "It's all right. Actually, come inside, please. The master and I were just sitting down to tea." He ushered them inside.
"Master?" Sofia asked curiously.
"Ah, forgive me. My name is Greylock. I'm sort of the head of the household—as in I quite literally do everything my master is too lazy to do." He glanced around quickly before putting a finger playfully over his lips. "Shh. Don't tell him I told you that."
The girl giggled. "I'm Sofia. This is my dad Roland. We're from the village of Dunwiddie, right on the other side of the mountain."
"Ah, lovely. And would you two care for some tea?"
Roland waved one hand. "Oh, it's all right. We—"
"Greylock! What is taking so long with my tea?!"
Sofia looked rather startled. "Who was that?"
Greylock sighed. "My master… Um, stay right here. I shall return." He picked up a steaming cup and vanished behind a sliding door.
The father and daughter exchanged glances before looking back toward the door expectantly.
A few minutes later, Greylock reappeared, looking rather disappointed. "Eh, I'm afraid the master is in a…bad mood. He doesn't wish to have visitors, so I suppose I'll have to ask you both to leave. I'm so sorry."
"No, it's fine," Roland insisted. "We didn't mean to intrude."
Sofia seemed a bit sad before something caught her eye. She gasped and hurried over to an open box in the center of the room. "Is this…a wand? Like a real, legitimate, hand-crafted wand?"
Greylock seemed impressed. "Indeed it is, young one. It's my master's family wand, passed from father to father for generations now."
"He's a sorcerer?" she guessed with sparkling eyes.
"Quite a wonderful sorcerer. He loves magic—"
"But not nearly as much as I love my privacy," a voice interrupted as the sliding door opened, a purple-clad man stepping forward, a purple wand clutched in his hand. He glared at the visitors before turning his glare to Greylock. "I see you pick and choose what you hear, Greylock."
"Now Master Cedric, don't be hasty…"
"Hasty? Oh, no, dear Greylock: you have yet to see hasty." He blinked and looked down as he felt a tug on his robe. He noticed the young girl there, her blue eyes peering into his brown ones. "Yes?"
"Are you really a sorcerer?" she asked in awe.
Cedric blinked a few times before folding his arms. "Indeed I am, though I fail to see why that should matter."
"I love magic! I just think it's the greatest thing ever, and when I meet someone who actually knows it, I get super excited. You're officially one of the most awesome people I've ever met, and I don't even know you!"
Roland stepped forward to stop his daughter's rambling, but Cedric held one hand out gently to stop him.
"What's your name, little one?" Cedric asked curiously.
"I'm Sofia. This is my dad Roland. We're from the village."
"Sofia…" He twirled his wand slowly. "You like magic, you say. Are you a witch?"
"Huh? No…"
"A sorceress?"
"No again."
"A magic wielder of any sort, naturally and by birth?"
Sofia lowered her head. "I'm just a normal, average girl from the village who loves magic and wants to be able to do something wonderful with it…maybe help others."
Greylock smiled fondly, as did Roland.
Cedric stared at the girl in wonder before sheathing his wand. "I see." He glanced toward the girl's father. "I want her to come train with me three days a week."
Roland seemed confused. "I'm sorry?"
"This girl has a passion for magic. Is she good? Who knows? But such enthusiasm must not be wasted."
"She has school."
Sofia looked between them. "I could train after school, right?"
Cedric nodded. "If you wish. I promise no harm will befall her. Two hours a day, three days a week."
"Please, Dad?" Sofia pleaded.
Roland knew how much this meant to his daughter. If she could train with a legitimate sorcerer and learn magic the way she was meant to, she could possibly do wonderful things with it in the future. How amazing would that be? Still, he had his reservations, especially after the initial meeting with the sorcerer. Still… "Very well. But let's call this a trial basis; I reserve the right to stop her lessons if I feel uncomfortable."
"As you wish," Cedric agreed.
Sofia giggled. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Cedric. Can we start tomorrow?"
He finally gave her a small smile. "Indeed, Sofia. Till tomorrow then." He watched them leave and shut the door behind them, and then he turned toward Greylock. "Are you sure she's the one?"
"How can she not be? You heard her. She loves magic. She's enthusiastic and innocently curious about everything. Maybe if you weren't so melancholy all the time, you'd see that clearly."
Cedric shot his assistant a look. "You're forgetting your place, Greylock."
"At least I didn't forget my humanity," he mumbled under his breath as Cedric turned and left the room. Sighing in frustration, he went back to his chores.
Cedric shut the door to his sitting room and walked up to a portrait of himself, Greylock, and a girl with long brown hair. They were all smiling happily. He sighed. "Elena, I promise you, I'll do my best with this girl…but I make no promises that I will change. After all…people make it so very easy not to trust them. It's going to take something incredibly special to reverse that. Truth be told, the heart can only take so much disappointment…"
To be continued…