Eva was locked in the closet. She usually was, yet the situation was never so desperate as this. Her true love was standing outside looking for her, and she was helpless- trapped in the cupboard with a broken ankle and bruised ribs.
Three days had passed since the splendor of the ball, three days that Eva had spent carrying out her duties borne by her joy of that night. And then, when it was announced that Niccolo was searching for her, Eva could not stop grinning. It was only a matter of time before the Prince and his retinue arrived at Villa di Angelo to spirit her away.
When the messenger arrived to inform the household that the Prince would be bringing the shoe through their neighbourhood that day, Eva could hardly focus. As she fixed Allegra's curls, she was daydreaming, humming the waltz she and the prince had danced before midnight.
Allegra was busy with her own daydreams, so did not recognize the song. But her stepmother placed the tune in an instant and mounted the stairs to the attic. It wasn't hard for her to locate the other shoe: Eva had carelessly left it on her windowsill, where she could see it and dream.
In her rage, her stepmother had shoved Eva down the staircase, the villa's grand marble showpiece. Each step racked the girl's thin body, shattering her ankle and leaving countless bruises. It caused her great pain to breathe at the moment. She thought the fall had cracked a few ribs as well.
But now was not the time to be dwelling on that. A short blare of trumpets erupted from the entrance hall. The girl shifted her glance back to the keyhole to behold the scene before her.
A man had entered the parlour and announced the Prince Niccolo-her love. And now he was approaching her step-family, the silver shoe cradled in his hands. She saw the prince survey the prim family standing in front of him with a regal disdain.
"Are there any other young ladies in this household?"
Eva was sure it had become a habit over the last few days.
Her stepmother, the Contessa Viviana shook her head. "There are only my two darlings, Allegra and Gianna."
Eva couldn't help herself. An indignant huff rushed through her lips. Then, at the shock of pain this action caused, a sharp cry escaped.
Contessa Viviana stifled a gasp, but no one noticed her reaction. All in the room were focused on the sounds Eva had made. One of the Prince's attendants rushed over to the closet door and jiggled the handle.
"Madam, would there be a person in this closet?"
"Yes." Eva provided the answer that Contessa Viviana was unwilling to supply.
The Contessa had no choice but to retrieve the key. When the door was unlocked, Eva tried to approach her prince, but her stepmother gripped her firmly by the arm.
"Who is this girl?" The Prince demanded. He must not have been able to recognize her; her golden hair tucked under a kerchief, her servant's garb a stark contrast to her ball gown.
"Just a servant girl," the Contessa curtly replied.
"Would you care to explain why she was locked away?"
"That is simple," Contessa Viviana replied. "She is a troublemaker, and I did not want her to mess things up." She uttered the last words through clenched teeth and her nails digging into Eva's skinny arm.
"I must still try the slipper on her, as decreed," the Prince muttered. "We will get it over with quickly. Sit down miss."
She obliged, overjoyed that her happily ever after was coming closer. She could almost reach it now...
She shifted her worn skirt and revealed her bare feet. Her broken ankle. Her red, swollen foot. There was no way the delicate shoe would fit her. And it didn't. Eva's mouth opened in protest, but she had no words to formulate an argument, an explanation. Her stepmother pursed her lips.
"I am sorry, Your Highness. She is just a common girl, and has wasted your valuable time. Come try the slipper on Allegra's foot instead."
"Your Highness." Allegra sank into a deep curtsey before settling on a gilt chaise. "My love," she continued, and all the Prince's attendants began protesting at the familiarity. Allegra ignored them, and with a practiced move – Eva had no doubt that her stepsister had been rehearsing this moment– she pulled Eva's slipper from the depths of her pocket.
Prince Niccolo's jaw dropped.
Eva felt her eyes glassing over with tears of pain. She sank to the floor in disbelief as the Prince placed the slipper he had brought onto Allegra's foot. It fit. Somewhat snugly, but it fit. Then the Prince gently removed the match from Allegra's hands and sent it to join its mate.
"It is you." The Prince's regal features had melted. All he was now was a man in love.
"It's me." Allegra's expression held surprise, though her voice did not betray her. Her hair, perfectly set by Eva's careful hands, framed her heart shaped face. The face, Eva was loathe to see, that Prince Niccolo was gazing into so intently.
"You must come to the palace to meet my family. Would it be possible for you to arrive tomorrow?" The Prince's excitement was contagious; Eva was immune.
"We are at your highness's disposal," Contessa Viviana purred.
"A carriage will be sent for you at dawn," one of the attendants affirmed. "Come, Your Highness. You must inform your parents."
The Prince straightened, remembering how to comport himself as a royal, but his shining eyes betrayed him.
"Until tomorrow, my beloved." He clasped Allegra's hands the same way he had Eva's the night of the ball, leaving a light kiss on her cheek, before whirling out of the villa with his attendants.
Contessa Viviana immediately rounded up the two other servants and set them to packing. "We will not need you any longer," the woman announced. "The palace is our new home. The furniture is yours to divide amongst yourselves. The valuables will be accompanying us, so pack them carefully, and don't you dare try stealing anything."
Eva was pressed into rigorous packing with the others, and did not have a moment to herself until the night. She curled on her bed, the straw mattress crinkling beneath her. It was hopeless. There was no way she could stop the engagement.
Unless...
She knew her stepfamily would be asleep by now. Eva rolled off her mattress, making as little noise as possible. She collected her cloak, and, just as silently, slipped out the kitchen door.
The roads were abandoned, but not all were asleep at this hour. As she approached the lower city, the sounds of merriment broke the silence of the night. The taverns were full of music, alcohol, and the relief of week's end. Eva was drawn to the sound, but looking for a different kind of relief.
There was a man leaning against The Conquistador's Chalice, a dog lounging at his side. The dog perked up his ears as Eva approached.
"Resta Iago," the man hissed, then looked Eva up and down."This is not your place, no?"
"Er, I'm looking for someone..."
The man scrutinized her as she trailed off. Eva felt like he could see her thoughts. Without asking any more questions, he knew what she wanted.
"The Strega Cyricana is gone."
Eva backed away from the man and his dog, turning and breaking into a run. She didn't notice any of her injuries until she was back at the villa. She had managed to stumble into the kitchen before her weak ankle gave out. Lying on the hearth, all of her pain was suddenly overwhelming. No witch meant no more magic. No more magic meant no Prince.
Curled in the ashes, Eva cried herself to sleep.