A Royal Mess

"A Royal Mess" is the fifth episode of Sofia the First.

Plot
The Golden Wing Circus is coming to town, and Sofia is told all about how amazing it is by Amber, James and the castle staff through a lively song and dance. Inside the castle, King Roland is pleased with how the stained-glass window depicting his family has turned out and is eager to show it to Miranda. He runs into his children who ask to go to the circus and he allows it. James does some juggling as he tells Sofia about the circus jugglers while the song and dance resume. When it's all over, Roland reminds James that playing ball inside the castle is not allowed. But right after he leaves, James starts doing it again despite his sisters' protests, and one of the balls ends up smashing into the window as a result of James's disobedience. Sofia says they should tell their father what happened, but James knows he will not be allowed to go to the circus if they do that, so he suggests they try hiding the destroyed part of the window behind a suit of armor. While pushing it towards the window, they hear their parents approaching and Amber goes to stall them. Sofia and James finish moving the armor in front of the window, but James accidentally knocks over the axe it was holding, and the window is damaged even more.

Amber is playing the harp for her parents and when she finishes, they attempt to leave, but she stops them and feigns sadness at them "not wanting to make time for her". Miranda assures her this is not the case, so she takes them to go look at her new tiara and keep them distracted.

Sofia thinks it's time to tell their father what's happened, but James is determined not to miss the circus, though none of his ideas for fixing the problem will work. Sofia then says perhaps Cedric could fix the window with magic. Cedric doesn't want to help at first, but Sofia's amulet catches his eye and he suddenly changes his mind. After ushering Sofia and James out, he finishes up a new potion that allows him to cast a spell that pulls objects - like Sofia's amulet possibly - into his grasp, though in the case of large objects like a bookcase, it turns out he is pulled towards the object instead.

Cedric meets up with Sofia and James and instructs them to stand in front of the window. He casts the spell, but Sofia ducks out of the way, so it hits the window and Cedric is pulled right into it. While Sofia frets over their worsening problem, Amber is showing her various tiaras to their parents. Roland in particular is getting restless and both he and his wife get up and leave, with Amber chasing after them.

James successfully casts a spell that frees Cedric from the window, but shortly afterwards the entire window shatters, just as Roland and Miranda arrive. James is about to tell his parents it was his fault when Sofia suddenly steps forward and takes the blame. Sofia is escorted to her room by Baileywick, since she is no longer allowed to go to the circus as punishment for something she didn't do, and explains to James just before he leaves that she knows how much he loves the circus, so she didn't want him to get in trouble and miss it. While Baileywick is setting the table for tea in her room, he tells her that while it was kind of her to take the blame for James, it's wrong to lie even if your intentions are good.

James, who feels guilty, is not enjoying the circus and finally tells his parents the truth. Amber also admits to having kept them distracted so they wouldn't find out about the window. After the four of them return home, the king and queen  have a discussion with their kids in the royal parlor room about the importance of telling the truth. Sofia, James and Amber are all scolded for trying to hide the ruined window from their parents, and are told that next time there's a problem they need to tell the truth before things gets worse.

The ringmaster of the circus visits the castle, and tells the king and queen he is concerned that they didn't like the show since they left early. But Roland assures him that his children love the circus, so the ringmaster says that he and the other circus performers will put on a special show right on the castle grounds, that the whole family watches together. At the end, the parlor magicians in the circus use their powers to conjure up a new window of the family for them.

Home Video Release

 * Sofia The First: Ready To Be A Princess

Songs

 * Goldenwing Circus

Cast

 * Ariel Winter as Sofia
 * Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda
 * Tim Gunn as Baileywick
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes as Princess Amber
 * Zach Callison as Prince James
 * Travis Willingham as King Roland II
 * Jess Harnell as Cedric the Sorcerer
 * Jim Cummings as Wormwood