The Wronged Princess - Book I (6 page)

Alas, it did not work
. 
No amount of manipulation could make
Pricilla’s
exquisite foot slide into Cinderella’s glass shoe
. 
Triumph surged through her veins
as h
e
moved to Esmeralda’s waiting foot
. 

Was it…relief she saw
?
Oui
, she was certain of it
. 
Especially telling in the stiffening of Pricilla’s spine, as Cinderella’s view consisted of her sisters’ backsides, leaving her to gaze upon Prince’s lovely features.

She
was, however,
able
to
observe
the unattractive scowl cross
Stepmamá’s
jaunty
,
over
-
exaggerated features as the chance for one of her daughters to marry genuine royalty
suddenly
drop by a colossal fifty percent.

Oh, how
Cinderella
would love to run out the door and demand Prince
to try
the slipper on
her own
dainty foot
. 
The urge was
most
overwhelming
. 
But fear held her back
. 
That, and
Stepmamá’s
violent temper
. 
It could prove a
deadly,
foolish mistake.

Cinderella
let out a soft breath of relief and settled her gaze toward
Esmeralda
. 
Prince bestowed the same ritual, slipping
off
her one shoe to replace it with the glass one.

Awe turned to dreaded astonishment, the
n stunned horror when
the slipper
slid
on
with
surprising
ease
. 

Cinderella choked on a gasp and fled from her veiled place at the window.

*****

Prince felt a surge of panic when the slipper in his hand
glided
neatly on
to
the foot he
still
held
. 
He could not be certain, but like
unmelting snow
in the highest of mountains
, he froze
. 
With a
mental shake he cast a
cautious glance to the face belonging to said foot
. 
Conscious of efforts that would otherwise allow his mouth to hit the ground he steeled himself to meet the eyes of this new and unexpected affianced
. 
The color was quite impossible to discern with such furious blinking
. 
Bright copper curls blew in a brisk breeze that were not all that unattractive
. 
It’s just that they were not deep rich mahogany.

In sharp sudden precognition
he realized this is what he been bred for
. 
That
nineteen
years of self-possession, impassive expressions and
reinforce
tactful negotiations were imperative when one wrestled with a terror building
so
deep within one’s chest
, one might expire on the spot
. 
“It appears to be a fit,” he said, not
at all
surprised at the composure he was able to project
. 

“Well, of course it fits!” The hideous mother said, benevolently
. 

Sainthood
. 
After this disastrous journey, he’d surely qualify for sainthood
. 

“Do quit batting your eyes, Esmeralda
. 
You could stir up the soil
,
”
h
er mother snapped
. 

Just beyond her shoulder
Prince
caught
sight
of
a
slight movement of
cheery
red and white curtain
s
at the window
. 

Amazing
. 
Her eyes did seem to
create a wind
. 
It took every ounce of concentration to fix
an impassive
gaze on his new betrothed, E
g
eld…Este…well,
her
name escaped hi
m at the moment—
to
contemplate
the situation at hand
. 
A sense of d
read
settled over
him along with
a picture of his
mamán
’s
pained expression leaping
through his mind.

He was not a religious man, by any means, but divine intervention would not be amiss
in this
moment.

*****

Cinderella, fist at her mouth, darted from the window
gasping for air
. 
She should have heeded
Stepmamá’s
direction for the basement as she’d been
commanded
. 
How could it have not occurred to her that Esmeralda’s foot would fit her slipper
?
The pain in her chest threatened to slay her
. 
Could on
e
die of a broken heart
?
When
P
ap
á
passed gently from this world to the next
,
Stepmamá
had
confiscated all of her belongings
. 

Even on the
rare
occasion
when
Cinderella
found herself
lucky enough allowed
to
her own devices
, did
she
not
steal into Esmeralda’s closet
to
try on her shoes
?
Both
Esmeralda
and Pricilla
had lovely
slippers.
Esmeralda’s
fit Cinderella perfectly
. 
Her gaze swept the darkness in a terrifying panic
. 
Who was
she to turn to for
help
?
It was not possible to confront them now
. 
Her shoe fit Esmeralda
.
Deflated, she realized, there
was
no one.

Frustrated tears spilled
forth
in defeat
. 
Should e
ven Fairy Godmother
be
willing to help, why should she
?
Cinderella berated herself
. 
She
was the ninny that slipped out of the blasted shoe in the first place
. 
She paced the dingy basement floor unable to stem the flowing river of tears
. 
It was all so hopeless.

She spun from the bottom of the stairway to retrace her steps dashing
a
hand across her face
. 
Her little friend in the corner squeaked in sympathy
. 

“What am I to do?” she beseeched of him.

He only shook his head in
forlorn
compassion.

She gave him a watery smile
. 
“
Merci
beaucoup
,” she sniffed
. 
“I suppose
I deserve
my lot in life
. 
My deceit has caught me cold.
”

Seconds later a tingling whisper wafted through the shadows, bits of glitter giving off a candlelight glow
. 
Suddenly, the dark basement
shimmered in a shower
of sparkles that swirled upward in
agonizing
slow moving motion
. 

A gown of the softest pastel pink chiffon shifted into focus like an artist drawing from a blank page
. 
Soon,
the gentle face of an angel
appeared
before her, tapping one foot in all of impatience
. 
She snapped a shiny stick toward an old black kettle in the corner, whipping it into a high-backed padded chair fit for…well,
a
Fairy Godmother, of course
. 

“Hello, dear.
”

Her voice held little sympathy, Cinderella
could not help
but
note
.

Fairy Godmother swung round
,
and all but plunked into the chair like a sullen child
. 
Her silver stick clattered to the floor
. 
With an irritated huff, she
snatched
it
up
. 
She brushed
small elegant
hands over her skirts before
meeting
Cinderella
’s gaze
. 
She shook her head with a sad smile and soft sigh.

The
dejected
sound filled Cinderella with so much frustration and
despair;
she sagged to the floor in self-acknowledged failure
. 
“I vow
,
I know
not
how this happened
. 
I
…I
suppose when the tower clock struck twelve
I tempted fate on
e
step too far
. 
I was overly enthralled, you see.
”
Then defended quickly, “
But I ran as fast as I could
.
”
All was lost
. 
S
he
could see it in Fairy Godmother’s
un
sympathetic eyes
. 
Cinderella
dropped her head, and
confessed
, “I lost my shoe.”

“
Oui,
I know, dear,” Fairy Godmother said
, h
er voice much more gentle
than Cinderella knew she deserved
. 
Th
at gentle tone
proved
her undoing
, and she burst into uncontrollable tears
.

“It
ne’er
occurred to me Esmeralda’s foot
sh
ould
fit
my slipper
.
”
S
he
hiccupped
. 
“He never saw her face
. 
I’m
his mysterious princess
. 
What am I to do?” she wailed
. 
U
nable to hold back any longer, a
nguish
ed
tears poured rivulets down her cheeks
. 

It was all somewhat dramatic but she was past
the effort of constraint
.

“Cinderella, my sweeting, this is more than just about you.
”
Fairy Godmother
said this kindly.

Cinderella
blinked
, puzzled
. 
“
Pardonnez-moi,
what do you mean?”

“Hmm
. 
How
shall
I say this?
”

Cinderella flinched under her
piercing gaze
, one that
sent tingles
racing
up her spine. “Well, dear
. 
I have been chatting with the queen.
”

Confusion wrapped Cinderella in a thick cocoon while Fairy Godmother continued a matter-of-fact…tirade
. 
“Frankly, my dear, she is thoroughly appalled by her son’s lack of imagination in pursuit of his…ahem…mysterious princess.”

“But…but, he does not have to be,” Cinderella assured her quickly, rising on her knees
, poking
her
self in the
chest with her thumb
. 
“I am
her
. 
I am his mysterious princess
.
”
Hope filled her.