Everyone knows the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. But Prince Charming had a brother who was not too happy about those balls and the hundreds of ladies eager for a dance. All Thomas wanted was a book and one person as company. Written for the introverts of the world.
Welcome, everyone! I've been writing fan fiction for a very long time, and lurking this site for not nearly as long. This is a story I wrote about two years ago for a creative writing class. We were to choose a short story and use it as our "mentor" piece. I chose "Cinderella".
This is so stupid, Thomas thought to himself, staring at his plate without interest. The lady sitting to his right chattered aimlessly, on and on.
He glanced to where his parents were sitting, and where his older brother Charles sat talking with the most beautiful woman at the ball. Thomas was annoyed that Mother had stopped him from going out to meet the pumpkin-orange carriage. He was the introvert, not Charles. He just wanted one or two people to talk with.
Charles was the life of the party. He delighted in these balls. He loved talking with every person present, dancing with at least all of the suitable ladies (and half of the unsuitable ones, too). He became more energized at each social event.
Thomas didn't. The ball had been going on for three hours and he already wanted to retire to his chambers to read. His fingers itched for his quill to be reunited with them so he could continue writing. That was when he was happiest – alone and with a good book or thought to keep him company.
He noticed the other guests slowly trickling away from the table. Charlie was out on the dance floor with his new belle, making every other lady sigh with envy. Thomas glanced around. The lady previously sitting next to him now occupied a dainty chair set along the side of the ballroom with her sister – well it looked like her sister – fawning over Charlie. Father and Mother watched Charlie and the lovely lady with approval.
Barely holding back his glee, Thomas rose quietly and made his way to the hallway. Alone, he broke into a wide grin. Finally! Freedom at last!
He hurried through the halls to the library, his sanctuary. As he laid his hand on the door to open it, he felt that he would not be alone.
Who was there? Surely the guests were all still in the ballroom. He pressed gently on the old wooden door, silently begging it to keep from creaking.
Thankfully it didn't, and Thomas peeked in.
A dark haired girl in a lovely hyacinth-blue gown sat in one of the overstuffed couches, eyes glued on a book open to the middle. He noticed with interest that it was one of his favorite novels.
"My lady?" Thomas cleared his throat before entering, not wanting to scare the young woman too much.
She looked up from the book, closing it but keeping her place with a finger. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be in here." She made to rise, but Thomas came farther into the room.
"No, no, it's okay," he assured her. "No one said the library was off-limits. I just thought that everyone would be at the ball."
She smiled wryly. "Not everyone. I'm here, and so are you." She put a ribbon between the pages of the book and set the novel aside on a table. She rose, and her gown swept the floor gracefully.
She wasn't very tall; she had to look up to meet Thomas' gaze. Her eyes were almost as blue as a wizard's cloak, darker than her dress. Thomas briefly wondered if she was daughter to one of the few wizards in the kingdom. Her hair was dark and her eyes dark blue but sparkling with a hint of gold. Gold in eyes was rare and only found in wizard families.
"What's your name?" he inquired politely.
"Arieda."
He inclined his head to her. "Lady Arieda, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thomas, at your service."
She curtsied lightly, gracefully picking up her voluminous skirts. "It is lovely meeting you as well. Were you seeking solace in the place of many books?"
He smiled. "Indeed. I do not often fare well around many people. What about you?"
A hint of pink colored her cheeks. "I don't either. Father and I are away from home, and I miss my books." She cast her eye lovingly around the library. "This library has so many more than what we have at home, but it still has my favorite." She gestured to the book she'd put down.
Thomas moved swiftly to pick the book up. "One of my favorites as well. Where did you find the ribbon?"
Grinning, Arieda reached into her skirt – a hidden pocket! – and pulled out a wad of ribbons. "I carry them everywhere. Just scraps really. Never know when they'll come in handy." She touched the velvet maroon one sticking out of the book. "Like holding pages." She turned her head to the side so Thomas could see the thin gold ribbon tied in an elegant knot around a small amount of hair. "Or braids."
"Very helpful," Thomas agreed.
Music tinkled through the door he'd left open. Smiling, he extended his hand to her. "Would you like to dance, Lady Arieda?"
She beamed, curtsied, and then took his hand. "I would love to. And as lovely as Lady Arieda sounds, I believe I'm just Maid Arieda. And you're Prince Thomas. I recognized you as soon as you walked in."
Thomas lifted his eyebrows. "Really?" He pushed on her hand, leading her into a gentle waltz.
She nodded. "Oh, I know your parents didn't make a big deal out of it like they did for your brother, but they did announce you. You didn't notice. You were fuming."
Thomas grinned sheepishly. "I thought Charlie got most handsome lady at the ball," he admitted. They went around the carpet once, and then twice without saying anything. The music in the distance stopped as the musicians took a break, he knew.
When the musicians came back, he finally leaned down and whispered in Arieda's ear, "But now I've got the most handsome and the wisest by far."
He drew himself back to his normal height, smiling in Arieda's look of surprise. Her face became mischievous.
"Well, Prince Thomas," she said saucily, "if you're so smitten, you shall soon see there's more to me than beauty and gentleness." And with that, she was gone.
"Arieda?" he called. He waited, listening carefully to the sounds. A door opened but didn't shut. Crickets chirped. She went outside.
He hurried to the one door leading from the library to outside. Sure enough, it was open, and two blue slippers lay right inside the door. Laughing to himself, he set the slippers aside. They were much smaller than his feet, but not yet at the "dainty" size.
He put them in his pockets and stepped outside. With Arieda barefoot, it wasn't hard to follow her tracks in the damp grass.
This was the most fun he'd had at a ball in the longest time! Just him and a lovely girl to spend the evening with.
He sighed contently and continued his search. He spotted some blue fabric flowing with the wind from behind a huge oak and knew that Arieda had hidden and was just waiting for him now.
The hyacinths were in bloom, and while he wanted to pluck something that would match Arieda's lovely gown, the clump would be far too large to gently slide behind her ear.
A small bed of daisies caught his attention. He smiled. Perfect. He leaned down and plucked the one with the purest white petals and flawless design. Holding the flower gently, he jogged to Arieda's tree.
"My lady, would you accept this humble token of my love?" He held the daisy out.
Arieda crept out and she gasped in surprise. "Ohh! It's lovely!" She brushed a few dark strands away from her face and he took that as invitation to put it behind her ear. His hand, however, did not return right away. It brushed her soft cheek delicately.
"Arieda…"
She put her hand over his, eyes wide.
He held his hand out again. "What say you we go back to the ball and dance?"
Again, she took his hand and he drew her near so he could put his hand on her waist. "How about we just dance here, so we're not crowded by everyone else and not stared at by everyone else and so we can be alone?" she suggested.
"We don't have any music."
Her eyes twinkled. "Since when has no music deterred you from dancing?"
He kissed her forehead and sent them into a gently moving dance. "You already know me well, dear Arieda."
"'Dear Arieda'?" she teased. "Not Lady Arieda or Maid Arieda, but 'dear Arieda'?"
"That's right."
"I don't even know her name!"
Thomas and Arieda walked into the throne room, hand-in-hand, only to catch the end of the conversation.
"Whoa, what's going on, big brother?" Thomas asked.
Charlie and Father and Mother turned to greet them.
"Nice to see you again," Mother said. With a significant look at Arieda, she asked, "Would you introduce us to this lovely lady?"
"This is Lady—or Maid—Arieda." Thomas smiled at her. She curtsied.
"Arieda…what is your family name?" Father asked.
Arieda looked embarrassed. "Zeroun," she said softly.
Suddenly, everything made sense to Thomas. Zeroun was the best wizard by far. He didn't subscribe to the black arts utilized by other magicians. He had a gift for manipulating common elements without the use of highly calibrated instruments. That explained Arieda's resourcefulness and why she was so different. Her blue eyes with the ring of gold looked just like her father's.
Father's eyebrows arched up. "Zeroun is in town?" he asked quickly.
Arieda nodded. "We're staying at the customary place. He'll come with me to tomorrow's ball," she said with a significant look to Thomas. "And speaking of him, I should probably go back to the inn."
Charles, strangely enough, stepped forward. "I'll send a servant to get your driver." He hurried off.
Thomas gave his parents a strange look. "What was that about? Charlie never offers to do anything like that."
His parents exchanged glances.
"Your brother met the most lovely girl. He's smitten," his mother announced.
Arieda squeezed Thomas's hand. He leaned down, and she whispered, "How fast do royal courtships last?"
"Oh, a day or so. Occasionally a week."
"At home they can take a month."
He smiled at her. "We can take as long as you need," he promised. To his parents he said, "Being smitten doesn't change how you act."
His parents looked at each other and laughed.
"Oh, it doesn't?" his father asked. "You came back to the ball, didn't you?"
Thomas felt his cheeks warm as his parent's laughter continued. Arieda joined in, and added softly so Thomas could hear, "It's true."
When the laughter finally stopped, his mother rejoined, "Being in love does change a person, but Charles is also intrigued by this girl. She didn't tell him her name, and at quarter to midnight she suddenly begged her leave and ran off."
"How strange!" Arieda exclaimed.
The queen glanced toward the doorway and added softly, "If she comes again, he plans to ask her to marry him. If she doesn't, he will go throughout the kingdom to try to find her to ask him."
Thomas smiled. "Big brother is settling down? I never would have guessed."
His father smiled back and gestured to Arieda. "Nor you, my son."
Charlie returned. "The carriage is waiting, m'lady."
Thomas offered her his arm. "I'll escort you out."
They walked out, hearing Charles pick the conversation with the king and queen with, "I'd give anything to find out who that lady is!"
Arieda rested her head on Thomas's shoulder. "Prince Charles really is smitten."
Thomas agreed. "Never would have guessed it."
"Me either."
He gave her a confused look. "How? This is your first time meeting him."
She laughed. "We might live in Northern Merak, but my father is Zeroun. He's always around on official business. He says he knows quite a bit about your family."
"Oh…of course. Yes. Father and Mother ask him to come in to give advice and whatnot." They reached her carriage. Arieda moved to get in, but Thomas took her hand and drew her back. "Arieda, I would be honored if you would come to the ball tomorrow night. Would you meet me by the flower walk?" he asked.
Her eyes twinkled. She curtsied. "I would love to, Prince Thomas."
True to his word, at the beginning of the ball, Thomas escaped to the flower walk to meet Arieda. He stood around for a short time, and then she came.
And she was beautiful.
Tiny stars dotted her dark red gown, leaving little trails of sparkles. The hem swept the ground pleasingly, like her dress the night before, but Thomas still saw her bare feet peep out as she stepped delicately along the stones.
White flowers dotted the coil of braid on her head. She'd added a modest tiara touched with garnet.
Thomas felt his breath catch as he watched her. "Oh, wow…"
Arieda smiled, blushed, and looked down. Although the pink in her cheeks was absolutely lovely, he saved her embarrassment from her beauty and took her hand and kissed it.
"You are absolutely beautiful, Arieda, don't be embarrassed," he said gently, taking her hands. "I am honored to be your escort for the evening."
"What are your plans?" she teased.
"Mmm, just dancing under the stars with the most beautiful lady here," he said, earning another blush from her.
"We should be a little social tonight." Arieda smiled up at him.
He smiled back. "As long as I'm the only one you dance with tonight," he said, encircling her waist with his arm.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and beamed up at him. "Definitely."
Thomas led Arieda in a slow dance to the music tinkling through an open window in the ball room. She hummed along, her eyes closed. Thomas relished the feeling of her complete trust in him. It brought a strange sense of peace to him.
He sighed contently when Arieda rested her head on his chest. "Tired?"
"I stayed up past my bedtime last night," she said with a soft laugh. "I rested some this afternoon, but Father needed some help with a project." She gazed up at him lovingly. "Father is here tonight if you'd like to meet him."
He tightened his grip on her a little. "Is he fine with you spending so much time with one of the princes?"
She laughed. "Indeed! Don't worry, Thomas," she added softly.
"Me, worry?" He twirled her. "I would like to meet him. But right now I just want to be with you."
"You'll have to meet him eventually," she said.
"I intend to tonight. Did you happen to see Charlie's lady as you came in?"
She looked up, as if the sky served as a mnemonic device. "I did. Prince Charles went out to meet her at the carriage again tonight." She smiled. "He's so happy with her. Are you still jealous?"
He shook his head. "Never. How could I be jealous when I have you?"
"You have food with you!" Arieda exclaimed when Thomas returned. He set the two plates down on the bench in the gazebo and then pulled cutlery out of his pocket.
"I was getting hungry," he admitted, "and I guessed that you were as well."
She put her hand over her stomach. "Famished."
"Oh, good. I didn't bring drinks with me because I couldn't hold it all, but I can get some if you're thirsty."
"I'm fine." Arieda looked up from the food. "What else were you doing?"
"How did you know?" He sighed. "It was supposed to be a surprise."
Arieda shook her head and sighed. "Sorry. My mind analyzes everything. You were gone too long to just be getting food, and too long to just stop by to talk briefly with your parents."
"Was I gone long?" Thomas asked, cringing inside. He'd left Arieda alone too long!
She smiled. "I went into the library and read while you were gone." She picked up the novel she had found the night before from the bench next to her. "Don't worry about it, Thomas."
He smiled, silently promising he would not worry.
They finished eating and Thomas took Arieda's hand. "Come on, let's go for a walk."
She rose lightly and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. "Are we going back to the ball to watch Prince Charles and the lady?" she asked.
He grinned. "I think we'll see enough of Charlie and his lady soon. No, let's just walk around for now, m'lady."
She sighed contently and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Do you want to go inside? You could take a nap on the couch in the library if you're tired," Thomas said gently.
She shook her head. "No, let us stroll."
The clock on the huge tower chimed quarter to twelve. Thomas worked hard to keep his breathing even. What would she say?
Not too soon, and not soon enough, the clock began to sound midnight. Thomas took a deep breath and turned to Arieda.
"Arieda?" Bong. "There's something I'd like to ask you." Bong.
Arieda's smile warmed him, and he pressed on.
"I know it's only been two days—" Bong. "—but I've fallen in love with you." Bong. "We can wait if you want—" Bong. "I already asked your father—" Bong. "And he gave his blessing—" Bong. "And I'd like to know…" Bong. He knelt and took her hands in his. "Arieda, daughter of Zeroun." Bong. "Would you and will you marry me?"
The peal of the midnight bells in the background, Arieda grew radiant. "Oh, Thomas…"
With the last bell, she gave her answer: "I would love to."
He immediately swept her up and kissed her full on the lips. Love's first kiss.
When it was over, Arieda beamed up at Thomas, and he smiled back. He pulled a ring from his pocket and took her hand.
"Now this ring was the ring my father gave to my mother when they were children. Your father added the sapphire." Slowly, he pushed it over her delicate knuckles and onto her finger.
"It's beautiful, Thomas," Arieda sighed.
"Now, I am willing to have a longer engagement for your sake," Thomas started, but Arieda silenced him with a finger over his lips.
"Let's just enjoy this time," she said softly, "before we make any more plans."
"Not too long," Thomas said with a smile. Arieda smiled her agreement before resting her head on his chest again. Thomas also closed his eyes and simply enjoyed being with her.
Heavy footfalls broke Thomas out of relaxation. Someone breathed hard. He glanced at the approaching servant.
"Prince Thomas," the servant wheezed. "It's Prince Charles. He's asking for you."
Arieda looked up at Thomas fearfully. "Is something wrong?" she asked the servant.
The servant bowed to her. "Indeed, lady. Please hurry."
"We'll be right there," Thomas promised, and took Arieda's hand. Together they ran inside and elegantly hurried along the halls to the throne room. There they found the king and queen and Charles talking animatedly.
"What's wrong, brother?" Thomas asked, feeling his eyebrows furrow in concern.
Charles shook his head back and forth, biting his lip. "It's…that princess I met yesterday. She disappeared from yesterday's ball at midnight, too. Tonight she did it again, right when I was going to ask her to marry me!"
Thomas and Arieda exchanged glanced. He bent to whisper in her ear, "I'm not so original then, proposing at midnight."
Arieda beamed at him. "No, it was perfect. Listen!"
Guiltily Thomas turned back to his brother. "She ran away again?"
Charles held out a lovely glass slipper. "She lost her shoe. I asked the guards if they had seen the most beautiful woman run out of the gates, but they said they only saw a cinder maid walking out." His brother sighed and looked down.
Thomas sneaked a look at Arieda. His life felt perfect, Charles's life should feel the same to him.
Leaving Arieda, he clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Charlie!" he said. "We'll go out to the village in the morning and look for this mysterious woman." He took the slipper from him. "We can look for the maiden whose foot fits the shoe!"
Thomas sat down heavily next to Arieda in the carriage. She looked at him compassionately.
"I'm sorry, Thomas. I know how much you're trying."
Sighing, Thomas reached for his wife-to-be's hand. "Thanks, Arieda." He glanced to the other side of the royal carriage, where Charles sat, gazing mindlessly out the window. Their continuing failures depressed him. Thomas wasn't sure if Arieda being with them was hurting his brother, but Charles would likely wave it off if Thomas asked.
He turned again to her. "What are we doing wrong? We've looked everywhere!"
Arieda squeezed his hand. "Nothing. You're doing nothing wrong." Suddenly, she broke off and stared at a blank spot.
"Arieda?"
Her hand tightened around his. "How have you been asking for the ladies?"
Thomas furrowed his brow as he thought. "Charles and I ask to see all the available women of the house, and then we ask for them to remove a shoe to try the slipper on."
She gasped. "What if she was in hiding?"
Charles looked up and stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"I heard you say that your lady was wearing a mask. It could have been anyone. Lady, maid, servant, cook. You also said that she arrived after most of the others. One of the servants could have borrowed their lady's gown to come."
Charles frowned. "In an orange carriage?"
"If it was the only thing left to come in," Thomas reasoned.
Arieda's eyes popped wide open. "Have fairies returned to Kyam?" she marveled out loud.
Puzzled, Charles asked, "Fairies?"
She nodded. "Where else would you find an orange carriage like a pumpkin?" She shrugged. "I'd just say that your lady is in hiding. Ask for all the young ladies in the household, not just the daughters of the master of the home, but also any of the maids or servants who are the right age. If I were in that position, I'd probably be hiding, too."
Charles nodded, and a smile returned to his face. Thomas wanted to sweep Arieda up. She, who made him so happy, gave his brother hope again, so he was glad again.
She was perfect.