Disclaimer: I do not own the story of Cinderella nor the characters of D. Gray-Man.
A/N: I know that the idea of a DGM version of Cinderella has already been used by various FanFiction authors, but I will be writing this story a little differently. Also, I will be switching points of view so the reader (you) can understand each point of view. Enjoy, and please Read and Review!
-Prologue-
"The darkest hour is just before the dawn." ~Unknown
I looked into the mirror at the chinese girl looking back at me. Her long, lush, and shiny jet black hair flowed down her back and her dark amethyst eyes glittered like gems and they showed so much love and care for her family. Her facial features were smooth, lean, and feminine, complementing her warm tan skin. I barely recognized her. This strong young woman who looked back at me was so different from the frightened little girl I used to be. Her hair was longer, her eyes were no longer untrusting, fierce determination now lit her eyes, a strong will to live and to protect her family, where before, there was emptiness. I looked down at my clothes only to see a long black trench coat with silver linings, buttons and a silver rose crest which lay on my left shoulder, but I knew a short sleeved shirt and a black skirt that went down to my knees, and black shorts were underneath. I remember having to wear a black hospital gown instead back when I was younger. Made to go through severe experiments that would traumatize adults, much less a little girl no older than seven. This was The price I had to pay for my parents' deaths.
When my parents died at the hands of an Akuma, I was 4 years old and my older brother, Komui, was 16. In the society we lived in, The Black Order Kingdom, a person had to be 19 years old to adopt a child, and had to be 18 years old to be classified as an adult legally. So we were sent to the only orphanage in the kingdom.
The orphanage wasn't very traumatic, but it wasn't my favorite place either. The older woman who ran it was a kind and motherly lady of high status. The woman had graying hair that was tightly restrained in a bun, and dark eyes that seemed to pierce right through you. Her face was heavily wrinkled in a way that made her appear permanently stern. She was always seen wearing a long black dress with an apron, and a nurse's cap. We were required to address and refer to her as Matron.
The stone building looked as strict as the person who ran it, with perfectly angular windows, and the front door was placed in the middle, making the mansion symmetrical. The entire complex design inside did not belong to an orphanage, but to an asylum. The cold, emotionless stone corridors that snaked their way through the massive building were only lit by small windows and candles that were strategically placed in each hallway. There was no heat during the winter unless you brought your own candle to walk through the mansion at night.
The rooms were made of the same stone as the halls, but they were more adequetly furnished to suit their purpose. Each child got their own room that they slept in, but they had to share the bathrooms.
The rooms had small cherry wood beds that were lined with black wool sheets in the winter and white cotton sheets in the summer, they were tucked in a corner, with a large square window that towered over them. A small dresser was pushed up against the wall, next to the door. The walls were painted a confining dull white.
My brother made plans to adopt me as soon as possible, this way, we could keep the family together as much as possible. He almost succeeded too, but when there were only a few months left, a man came to the orphanage who went by the name Leverrier. As soon as he entered the orphanage, every kid got the impression that he was not looking for a child, but a slave to do his bidding, every kid except for me. I was naïve enough to believe that he could be nice, gentle, and trustworthy. I thought that he would never choose me.
His toothbrush mustache was immaculate, his slicked chocolate brown hair had no singular hair out of place. His emerald eyes were frozen, void of any emotion except for disdain. He was dressed in a stiff black military jacket that had a silver rose cross embroidered over his heart, and silver buttons. His pants were simple black slacks, and his black riding boots glistened with fresh polish.
Not long after he observed the environment, he asked Matron if she could line up all the children so he could see them. Not wanting to cross him, she had us unwillingly form a line as straight as an arrow.
He slowly walked down the line to inspect the orphans, sometimes pausing in front of one and then moving on. Most of the kids moved back, but others glared back at him, as if challenging him. When he came in front of me, I calmly looked back at him. I could see my reflection in his frozen eyes, a confident 7 year old asian girl gazed back at him. He paused in front of me longer than any of the others, even lifting my chin and turing my head to see my profile. I made sure to keep my eyes on him, cautious if he was an Akuma. He dropped my chin and continued down the line, but I could remember those cold emerald eyes glinting with satisfaction, and a slight nod, watching my reaction. I narrowed my eyes slightly, realizing that I made a grave mistake in not shying away, or glaring at him defiantly. I watched him intently as he finished the procession, and went up to Matron to tell her which child he decided to adopt.
"Which child would you like to adopt sir?" She asked the man, her voice deceptively laced with intense dislike.
"I would like the oriental girl." He stated, gesturing toward me.
I could sense a wave of relief wash the room, the orphans were glad that they wouldn't have the stern man as their adopted parent, but I took no notice. To me, the world had just ended. My heart stalled at that moment as the meaning of what he said hit me. I would never see my brother again, all hopes of ever keeping our small family together were dashed by 6 simple words, 'I would like the oriental girl'.
'I'm sorry brother' I closed my eyes and bowed my head, hoping that my brother could hear my mental apology.
"Lenalee," Matron softly whispered in my left ear. "I'm sorry that I couldn't reunite you with your brother, but at least you can have a father again. I hope you enjoy your new life, Miss Lee." Matron slightly bowed her head in sorrow before walking back to the man who took my last chance to be with my brother.
By now, all of the children had filtered out of the room to continue whatever they were doing before, I remained where I stood before, but I now adjusted my posture, hoping to at least please the man who decided to adopt me, even if he wasn't my brother. I straightened my back, rolled my shoulders behind me, held my hands by my side, adjusted my feet to be shoulder-width apart, and held my head parallel to the floor. I waited for an order from the man, and after he finished talking to Matron and completing the necessary paperwork, he made a subtle gesture, commanding me to follow him. He then turned on his heel and left the room while I followed behind him.
When I first entered the Leverrier residence, I was impressed by how large and grand everything was. Majestic cherry wood staircases, a luxurious stable as large as the orphanage, a massive ballroom that had white walls and golden accents, but as I was being led to my room, I noticed that we went down a long corridor with a winding metal staircase lit by bright lightbulbs that I never saw before. When we exited the corridor, a blast of cold air hit me, making me shiver. I took in my surroundings to be astonished by the drastic difference from upstairs.
Short stone walls held the large room's ceiling, along with occasional pillars that were made of stone as well. Long tables full of test tubes filled the majority of the floor space except for small walkways that only thinnest of people could squeeze through. A small door was partially hidden by towering piles of research and data. The man led me to the door, and opened it, shoving me into the room behind it. His cold voice seemed to make the already cold room drop a couple degrees.
"This is where you will stay until I need you. You can find your clothes in the dresser, and your shoes are beneath your bed." He then closed the door, and I could hear it being locked with a sharp click.
I could feel tears in my eyes, but I blinked them back, I had to be strong, I could not cry.
I wandered over to the small stone fireplace that was next to my dresser, and used some of the small pile of wood beside it, lighting a small flickering fire. To my unfortunate discovery, the fire's warmth only extended to right in front of the fireplace, but given that it was a warm mid-summer's night, I could handle the cold with just the blankets. As I went over to my dresser, I noticed that the clothes that the man referred to were black hospital gowns. I ignored that fact as I changed into one of the gowns. When I looked over to my bed, I could see small black shoes. When I decided to try them just for a second though, I was surprised by how heavy they were. I immediately took them off, and laid in my bed, pulling my covers over me. I wondered what waited for me tomorrow, but as my head hit the pillow, I instantly fell asleep.
What I did not know was that even though someone had adopted me, I would not find happiness until several years had passed. I would be forced to go through experiments for three years, until I was ten, and would become a servant.
-Prologue End-
