The Shoemaker's Daughter

A/N: Hey guys! This is the first fanfiction I ever posted online and completed, so I hope you like it! I love the Sofia/James pairing and wanted to show my support for it, which is why I decided to actually publish this story. I wrote it over winter break, so it's already all completed! Yay! Feel free to leave reviews, but please no mean comments! If you don't like the story, then just don't read it. Thanks to all of you who take the time to read my story! Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First! It is owned by the marvelous Disney.

Chapter 1:

"Good morning Princess Sofia. It is time for you to get up."

Sofia, now age 18, yawned and stretched out her arms, trying to shake off the sleepy feeling she had. She rubbed her eyes and looked up to see none other than Baileywick, the castle steward, standing beside her canopy bed.

"Good morning, Baileywick," Sofia said with a bright smile. "Thank you for waking me."

"Of course princess. After all you have a big day ahead of you."

"That I do!" Sofia said happily. She had a feeling today was going to be a great day and she couldn't wait to get it started.

"Now, if you'll excuse me princess, I must go wake up your step-siblings. Breakfast will be ready for you in half an hour in the dining room."

"Thank you, Baileywick," Sofia said politely and the steward bowed before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Sofia skipped over to her closet, humming a cheery tune.

"Sofia?" A sleepy voice said from her bed. "What are you so happy about this early in the morning?"

The voice belonged to her trusted bunny, Clover. He had gotten quite old over the years, but was still alive and kicking. Neither he nor Sofia knew how he had managed to live this long, but neither cared so long that he was still here.

"Oh, sorry Clover. Did I wake you?"

"It's fine, princess. All I do all day is sleep and eat anyways… and right now I want to eat!"

Sofia laughed. After all these years, Clover still had a huge appetite.

"I put some carrots over by the windowsill. Help yourself!" She said cheerfully, and went back to picking out an outfit for the day. She came out in her favorite purple dress and proceeded over to her vanity mirror to work on her hair next. She pulled her brown hair back into a half-up, half-down hairstyle and tied it up with cute purple ribbon.

"There, perfect!" She said, smiling at herself in the mirror.

"Wow, Sofia! You look great," Clover managed to say through cheeks filled with carrots. "What are you so dressed up for anyways?"

"Oh Clover, I'm so excited!" Sofia exclaimed, turning to her friend. "Today, there is going to be a festival in the village and mom and dad said that Amber, James and I can all go to it! And that's not all. Tonight we are all going to Princess Hildegard's Engagement Party too!"

"That sounds like fun! It's not often you get to spend the whole day with them. You guys are always so busy these days."

Sofia sighed. "Well, it's not like it isn't to be expected. After all, James is going to be crowned King next year so he has to spend almost all of his time studying the laws and politics of our country. And Amber has been going to marriage interview after marriage interview trying to find a suitor good enough to marry. In my case, I'm still attending Royal Prep at the University level. I want to know as much as I can about being a princess while I still can. Plus the sorcery classes are pretty fun too."

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Hey Sof, are you up yet? Breakfast is ready."

Sofia blushed at the sound of her step-brother's voice. She knew it was weird to have a crush on James, but she couldn't help it. She tried as best as she could to hide her feelings from everyone, and push them way back into her heart so that she could hopefully forget about them, but so far she was not having any luck.

"C-coming!" She stuttered. She quickly checked her hair in the mirror one last time before heading to the door to greet James.

"Wow," he said when she opened the door, "you look fantastic!"

He gave her a thumbs up and Sofia blushed. It was him who looked great, she thought. Since growing up, James had developed a very nice, toned body. He wasn't overly muscular, but you could definitely tell he worked out. His blonde hair was like gold and his eyes just like chocolate. Sofia felt like she would melt if she looked into them for too long, so she quickly turned her face away to look at the floor.

"T-thanks, James, but you're too nice. I don't look that great."

"Are you kidding?!" James yelled as he grabbed onto her shoulders to look straight into her eyes. "You're the most beautiful girl in the entire world."

James was tall, handsome, and kind. It was no wonder he was so popular when he attended Royal Prep. Although, when Sofia thought back on it, she couldn't remember him ever dating anyone.

I wonder why that was… Sofia thought.

James cleared his throat and turned his face away, hoping Sofia wouldn't be able to see his blushing face. Thankfully for him, she was extremely dense. "A-anyways! Can you believe Hildegard actually got engaged to someone?"

"I know, it's strange to think that we are already getting to the age where we can get married." Sofia agreed, signifying that James had successfully succeeded in trying to change the subject. "Although I can't believe she won't tell us who she's engaged to until tonight at the party."

"I hope it's Zandar," James revealed. "He's had a crush on her since before you came into the family. Plus he's my best friend, so I can't imagine any other guy being a better match for her."

Sofia giggled. "They do make quite a pair! And it's so like Hildegard to hide her feelings about him until the very end."

"And then make it into a grand announcement," James agreed and they both laughed. Hildegard was the same as always. The two finally reached the dining room where they saw their parents and Amber already working on their breakfast.

"Good morning Mom! Good morning Dad! Good morning Amber!" Sofia greeted cheerily.

"Morning everyone!" James repeated.

"Good morning you two," King Roland welcomed. "Come sit down and have some breakfast."

"Don't mind if we do!" James answered happily. "I'm starved!"

He and Sofia walked over to their seats where James pulled out Sofia's chair for her before sitting down next to her. The family ate their breakfast together while chatting about their plans for the day, Amber's newest tiara, the recent triumph of the flying derby team, and other such topics. Their family was always so friendly and it made Sofia happy that they could have conversations like this at every meal. It made the stress of being royal seem far away.

"Your Highnesses, the flying carriage is ready to take you to the village now." Baileywick informed the three teenagers.

"Is it that time already?" Amber questioned. "Well, I have finished my meal, so I guess it would be alright to leave now. Sofia, James, aren't you coming?"

Sofia and James quickly scarfed down the rest of their breakfast as quickly as they could. After all, once Amber was ready to leave, that meant that everyone should be ready to leave or they would be left behind. She absolutely hated to wait.

"Goodbye kids! Have a good day in the village today!" Queen Miranda called after them.

"Thanks mom!" Sofia called back, "We'll be back later!"

The three young royals made their way down to the front of the castle where there was indeed a flying coach waiting there for them. They settled themselves into the carriage and were swiftly taken to the skies. They arrived in the village in what seemed like record timing to Sofia. As soon as they were safely on the ground, Sofia began to look around excitedly for her friends. She hadn't seen Ruby, Jade and Lucinda in weeks! She couldn't wait to hear of all the new stories from the village.

"Sofia!"

Sofia turned around to see the very friends she had been looking for just seconds before. "Ruby! Jade! Lucinda! It's so good to see you all again!"

The friends came together in a big group hug, causing Amber to frown slightly in annoyance. "Did you forget about me ladies?" She remarked snottily.

The village girls turned around quickly and noticed Amber standing there flapping her fan. "Princess Amber! Of course we didn't forget about you!" They exclaimed, and ran over to give her a hug.

"Ah, it feels good to be loved." Amber joked and the girls all laughed.

"Oh…Prince James!" Jade swooned. "You're here too?!"

James laughed, "Yes ladies, I'm here too."

Ruby and Jade instantly ran to James' side. Yes, after all these years they were still infatuated with him. James used to get a kick out of having groupies always fawning over him, but over the years he just thought it to be an annoyance. After all, there was only one girl whose attention mattered to him now, and neither Jade nor Ruby were her.

"Girls, give James some space, you're making him feel uncomfortable," Sofia cut in. She loved her friends, but not when they acted like this. It made her feel angry for no real reason, and she didn't like it.

Lucinda was the only one who seemed to pick up on both Sofia's and James' feelings, so she chose to stay out of it most of the time. However, she was interested in seeing how things turned out. She may be a good witch now, but that didn't mean she couldn't have any fun.

"What Sofia, are you jealous?" Lucinda asked, a huge smirk across her face.

All eyes were on Sofia, especially James', and she could feel her face turning a deep shade of red. "W-what?! Lucinda, of course I'm not jealous!"

Ruby and Jade smiled and skipped back over to Sofia. "Oh Sofia, don't worry! We will always be your best friends, so you don't need to be jealous of James!"

Lucinda shook her head in disappointment. How could they be this stupid?! She thought.

Sofia just laughed nervously, "Ha-ha ya, of course…"

Just then a loud trumpet sounded signaling the next event. Jade and Ruby squealed excitedly, causing James to cover his ears.

"The dancing portion of the festival is about to begin! Let's go, let's go!" Ruby exclaimed as she pulled her friends arms off in the direction that the dancing was going to take place.

Everyone followed after her and hurried over to the town square. There they found a large gathering of people from the town who were joyfully dancing and singing along to the music as the musicians played. The group ran up to join in the fun as they danced together and had a great time. Having danced for quite a while, Sofia stepped off to the side to catch her breath and watch the festivities.

The village is so lively! She thought, I'm really glad that our kingdom is lucky enough to have such peaceful times.

As Sofia stood and watched her friends dancing to their hearts content, she noticed a tall figure walking towards her.

"James…" she said surprised, "why aren't you out there dancing with the others?"

He shrugged, "I guess I just wanted to let my feet rest for a while. Plus I saw you over here by yourself, so I thought I'd come keep you company."

He winked at her and Sofia giggled, "How very kind of you."

"So are you having fun?"

"Yes," Sofia answered truthfully. "It's so good to see everyone again."

James was silent for a while, which made Sofia uneasy. She didn't know what he was thinking, and was about to ask him about it when he spoke up instead.

"Do you ever wish you didn't become a princess?" He asked carefully, afraid to know the answer. "I mean, if you hadn't, then you would be able to see your friends every day and you wouldn't have to worry about how to properly greet other royals, what laws have to be enforced, or what silverware is appropriate to use for what meal for goodness sake!" He sighed, "All I'm saying is…do you think you would've been happier living in the village?"

Sofia couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was true that being a princess had taken a toll on her at times, but it wasn't like she hated being royalty all the time. Especially because…

"If I didn't become a princess though James, I probably never would have met you." She confessed.

James blushed slightly at the sentiment, but after some though shook his head. "That's not necessarily true. I mean, it's not like royals and commoners never meet right? After all mom and dad met when she brought him a pair of shoes, so it's not like it would be impossible."

"I guess that's true, but…" Sofia hesitated. To be honest, she had never really thought about that.

Before she could say more, the music changed to something a little slower. Sofia looked around and saw that all the people around her were pairing up in groups of two. A man came up onto the stage and announced, "It's time for the couples dance. Gentlemen, find your sweetheart and invite them to dance!"

Sofia started to worry. She looked towards her friends and sister and saw that all of them already had dance partners. She was going to be the only one without a date! Just as she was about to walk away, James held out his hand towards her. When she looked at him quizzically, he combed his other hand through his hair sheepishly.

"Do you want to dance with me, Sof?"

Sofia stared at him for a second in disbelief, but then she smiled brighter than he had ever seen her do before. "Of course!" she answered back, placing her hand in his.

James smiled with relief and led her towards the dance floor. He placed one hand on her waist and the other held her hand securely. The waltzed gracefully around the courtyard as if there was no one else there. They smiled and laughed, having the best time of their lives just being with each other. Sofia had forgotten how good it felt dancing with James. They hadn't had the chance to dance together since the ball at her 16th birthday. She wanted to stay with him like this forever.

I really am hopelessly in love with James, Sofia thought to herself when they accidentally bumped into another couple.

"Oh, we're so sorry!" Sofia apologized, but the girl just stuck up her nose and turned back to her dance partner.

"To think the prince pities his sister so much that he gives up his chance to dance with someone he can actually be with so that she won't feel like a loser," The girl criticized as her and her partner resumed dancing. "I mean, it's not like they could ever be a couple."

James frowned. "Just ignore them, Sof. Come on, let's keep dancing."

But it was too late. Sofia had heard everything that the girl had said and agreed with every bit of it. How could she make her brother dance with her when there were so many other girls that would have been better for him? And how could she ever fall in love with him? She was his sister! Well, step-sister, but still.

If James knew I liked him, he would hate me for sure, she thought fearfully. I can't keep getting close to him or it would make him look bad too.

"Sof, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, James," Sofia mumbled sadly while slowly backing away from him. "…I…I have to go."

"Sofia, wait!" James called after her, but she had already started running, headed anyway but there. She couldn't stay there and let him see her cry.

Maybe this way he will still be able to have a good time without me, she thought.

In no time at all, Sofia had come to a narrow street in the market area of town. This path was normally pretty busy, but with the festival going on it was even more so. Sofia was drowning in a sea of people, getting pushed and shoved to the side with no way to escape.

"Ow!" She yelled when she got pushed to the ground.

Merchants in this part of the village were from all different kingdoms and didn't pay much attention to anyone or anything unless it pertained to them. Sofia started to stand when she heard someone scream.

"Look out!"

Sofia looked up and saw a cart racing towards her. It had somehow gotten loose from its owner's hold and was now rolling down the hill uncontrollably, and it was headed right to her! She froze with fear and closed her eyes tight, bracing for the impact, when she instead felt a sense of flight as someone grabbed her arm and pulled her to safety. When she finally opened her eyes, Sofia noticed that she was pressed up against James in a nearby alleyway, out of the way of the street goers.

"James, you saved me?" Sofia asked, but instead of being answered with the kind gaze he normally gave her, she saw anger on his face.

"You idiot!" James yelled at her, "Why did you run off like that? You could've been killed!"

"But-!" Sofia tried to argue back but stopped when James pulled her into a tight embrace. She could feel him shaking and she realized he wasn't mad, he was worried.

"I thought I was going to lose you…" he confessed.

Sofia hugged him back and buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm okay, thanks to you James. You don't have to worry anymore, alright?"

James nodded and pulled back from the hug. Starting to think clearly once again, he noticed the position they were in and instantly let go of her. "S-sorry Sof! I don't know what came over me…"

Sofia seemed to realize the situation they were in for the first time as well and her face grew a bright shade of red. "N-no, don't worry about it! It was my fault!"

The both stood there in an awkward silence for what seemed like forever, neither one being able to look at the other. Finally, James spoke up, ending the tension in the air between them.

"Hey, Sof? Before, when you ran off… was it because you didn't like dancing with me?"

Sofia looked at him in surprise. "What? Of course not! I just felt bad after hearing what that girl said about you only dancing with me because you felt sorry for me…Was that true?"

Now it was James' turn to be surprised. "Of course not! I danced with you because you were the only one I wanted to dance with!"

James quickly covered his mouth. Crud, what did I just say! She'll find out I like her!

But Sofia just sighed with relief, "I'm glad, because I love it when you dance with me…"

"Really?" James asked and Sofia nodded, looking at her shoes.

Is she embarrassed? James thought to himself, noticing her lack of eye contact with him. Does this mean maybe she has feelings for me too?!

James steadied his resolve and turned to face Sofia, "So if you like it when I dance with you… what about when I do this?" he asked and he took her hand in his.

"….I like it." She answered back to him. "It makes me happy when you hold my hand…"

James smiled. "And this?" he asked as he caressed her cheek with one of his hands.

"I feel like you're taking all my cares away." Sofia replied, and looked into his gorgeous brown eyes. "And when I look into your eyes-"

"You feel like we're the only two people in the world?" James guessed. When she nodded, he smiled with relief. We feel the same way then, he thought. "And…. what if I do this?"

James pulled his face closer and gave Sofia the sweetest, kindest kiss she had ever known and she knew there was no going back now. Her first kiss had gone to her step-brother, and she didn't even care. She was totally, absolutely, unconditionally in love with James.

"I've never felt anything more magical in my life," Sofia confessed when they separated.

"Brilliant," James grinned and leaned in to kiss her again when...

"Sofia? James! Where are you guys?"

The two royals quickly broke away from each other when they heard their sister's voice. How long had they been gone? It certainly couldn't have been that long, could it?! Sofia looked to James, hoping he would have a plan because right now she had none.

James winked at her, calming her down. "Just act natural, and follow my lead."

Sofia nodded and they headed back out into the busy street where they saw Amber and their village friends looking around for them.

"There you are!" Amber shouted at them when they came into her sight. "Where have you been?! The dancing ended and we couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Sorry, sorry!" James half-apologized. "We got hungry so we decided to grab something to eat, but it was so busy that we got lost in the crowd."

Amber looked skeptically between her brother and step-sister before finally opening her fan. "Hm. Fine, don't tell me. If it's important I'll find out about it soon enough. Come, we better get going."

James and Sofia sighed with relief, happy that their sister was not going to keep pressing the issue. Lucinda, however, had a pretty good idea about what they had really been doing, and she wouldn't let it go so easily.

"You'll have to tell me all about it later, Sofia," Lucinda whispered to her.

"W-what?! Lucinda, I-!" Sofia tried to protest but the witch just winked at her.

"Amber's right. You guys had better get going. The festivals just about over anyways." Lucinda informed them.

"I'm always right, Lucinda," Amber answered confidently. "Well, we shall see you ladies another time. It was so good to see you all."

Everyone said their goodbyes, and promised to see each other again soon. Amber, James, and Sofia made their way to the coach and began their trip back to the castle, waving goodbye to their friends as they took off.

"Coachman, please fly us back to the castle as quickly as you can. I want to make sure I have enough time to get ready for Hildy's party," Amber requested.

"Of course, Your Highness."

"So Amber," Sofia started, "what did we kiss – I mean miss! What did we miss when we were gone?!"

"…You're acting strange, Sofia. Are you okay?" Amber asked, more concerned than suspicious.

"I'm not hiding anything!" Sofia blurted out. "I mean – I'm fine!"

Now Amber was suspicious, which wasn't hard to believe. After all, Sofia was a terrible liar since she tried so hard to always tell the truth. Luckily, James was much better at hiding things from his twin.

"Sofia's probably just spouting nonsense because she's still feeling a little shaken up. She almost got hit by a run-away cart when we were in the village after all." James admitted.

"WHAT?! Sofia are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, Amber" Sofia smiled at her, happy that her sister was so concerned about her. "James saved me, so I wasn't hurt at all."

Amber sighed with relief. "Well, at least James is good for something."

"Hey!" James pouted at his sister and they all laughed. The tension from earlier was gone, at least for now, and the three of them enjoyed the fun and carefree conversations all the way back to the castle.