Cinderbelle

She was late, very late. If she didn't get home soon her step-mother Milah would not be too thrilled, but unfortunately she was not going to make it. She still had to stop by the river and draw water from it to be brought home. It was not an easy task and Milah, being what most call the evil step-mother, would not let her precious children Greda and Ana help because they could hurt a precious part of themselves, pfft, whatever. Them two girls were the laziest ever; Greda and Ana were dumber than rocks. This, in Cinderbelle's point of view, was pretty dumb. Getting closer to the river, she makes a run for it, not paying attention to where she was going she literally ran into someone, they both stumbled to the ground, Cinderbelle's pail flying out of her hand and landing near the river bank. With a groan she started to get up but whomever she knocked down was already up and helping her up.

"Thank you." She said and looked up in the face she saw, she nearly gasped but prevented herself from doing so, for there before she was face to face with King Malcolm's boy, Prince Rumford, but in the attire he was wearing it seemed that he was trying to blend in with the villagers, she would not have recognized him at all if it wasn't for her step-sister Greda's obsession with him. Greda had posters of him up on her bedroom wall and talks about dreamy the Prince is. Seeing him up close though Cinderbelle would have to admit he is quite handsome and the posters don't do the man justice.

"You're very welcome, Miss?" He replied and asked at the same time, smiling at her with a broad grin on his handsome face,

"Belle, I'm Cinderbelle, but you may call me Belle if you'd like." Belle replied just standing them staring at him. Taking in his looks, she'd never been attracted to any man like she had him before, in fact up until five minutes ago she never once though the man handsome or attractive,

"Rummy, I'm Rummy." He said awkwardly, looking around nervously as he did so.

"Well Rummy, thank you for helping me up and I do apologize for knocking you over, but I am in a hurry, have to get back to my home." Pushing him aside Cinderbelle grabbed her pail and rushed past Rummy to the river bank, filled up her pail with the water and rushed past the man again. She headed up the hill back to her home. Rummy watched her and couldn't help but admire the strange lass he literally ran into. She was a strange one and didn't recognize him as the Prince. For if she did she would have bowed to him and not shove him aside. He would be interesting in meeting this strange Cinderbelle again, but alas it would not be so for fate had other plans for him and he would not be coming to this river again. Turning back around where he came from he rushed in the near by forest hearing the tell tell signs of the royal guard, no doubt on their search to look for him, the runaway Prince who is being cowardly and hiding from his guards. He needed time to think after what his father told him. He was having a normal day, doing what he liked to do best which consisted of him being in the company of his mother Anita while she read to him and his sister, he spinning and his sister making herself a red cloak when King Malcolm entered the library and stated that King Jonathan of the Emerald Kingdom has offered his daughter Zelena's hand in marriage and Malcolm has accepted on his son's behalf and that Zelena and Rumford would be wed in a months time.

Once Malcolm stated that Anita flew up from her spot in the library and stomped over to her husband. Rumford and Red shared glances before they decided to make a hasty retreat from the room, Red went to her room and Rumford to his just long enough to change his attire to peasant clothes, he went through a secret passage in his room and left the grounds. He needed time to think. He was walking around thinking when he spotted the royal guard and made a run for it before they found him, that was when he ran into the lovely Cinderbelle.

As he heard his Royal Guard come closer to his hiding spot he made a mad dash for one of the willow trees and climbed up it where he was hidden from view. They wouldn't be able to see him in the tree even if they were looking up at it. One of the many great things about Weeping Willows, they were easy to hide in and not get found and Prince Rumford was forever grateful for that. He looked down and watched his Royal Guards run threw the forest below in search of him. If asked what they were doing they would tell any townsfolk that they were training. If the town were to know that they lost the Prince it would be in an uproar and all the eligible women would try to find him and let's just say Rumford was not okay with that. His fans are crazy and he already has to fight them off enough when his father does his monthly speeches at the town square.

Cinderbelle made her way to the home she lived in with her step-mother and step-sisters. She had the pail of water with her being careful as not to spill it she walked slowly up the mountain trail towards the cottage she lived in since birth.

"What and the hell took you so long? Cinderbelle!" Her step-mother Milah screeched rushing out of the door. "We've been waiting forever. Your sister is thirsty- have you no respect for your family?" Milah questioned as she rushed Cinderbelle into the house. Cinderbelle rolled her eyes at her step-mother and sat the pail down on the wooden table. Going to one of the cupboards she grabbed a cup and filled it up with water. Greda came out of the back room and took it with a sneer.

"Took you long enough. Have you no concern for our well being? We could have died of thirst." Greda snarked, shoving Cinderbelle to the floor, she just sat there on the floor for a bit until her step family left the room. Ana came in and helped her sister up off the floor. Belle tended to like Ana, Ana could be mean at times but she at least had the decency to behave more kindly to her step-sister. Ana had the morals and even though she could be just as hateful as Milah and Greda, she could still be a kind person, that is as long as her mother and sister were not near. If Milah and Greda were in the same room with Ana, Ana would be mean because she didn't want to be a disappointment to her mother and sister.

"Thank you, Ana." Cinderbelle said, she grabbed Ana's hand and Ana pulled her up off from the dirt floor.

"You shouldn't let them walk all over you like that, Belle. It's not right. Why don't you run? It'll be so much better than staying here." Ana watched her sister. Waiting for the answer.

"Why don't you Anastasia? You are a kind, caring person but the moment your mother and sister walk in the room or you are in their company you are just as bad. Stop pretending to be someone you're not. As I've told you before I will not leave and run unless you come with me." Cinderbelle left the room, she turned where she was at the doorway and saw Anastasia with a sad look upon her face. "If you ever change your mind, sister dear, and have had enough of this life you know where to find me. We can run together." Walking to her room Cinderbelle entered it and saw Greda talking to the poster of Prince Rumford that was on the wall, she looked to be stroking the Prince's lips. Cinderbelle rolled her eyes and sat on her bed. She picked up a book she inherited from her mother after she died and opened it from where she last read and started reading it.

Greda stopped molesting her poster to look at her step-sister and rolled her eyes, all CInderbelle did if she wasn't doing her maidly duties was read. It was quite annoying, she didn't understand why anyone would want to waste their life on something so crass and dumb. Books were fiction and the here and now is reality. Greda would have to talk to her mother about what darling Cinderbelle does. This reading has to stop. By tomorrow this time Belle would no longer have any books in her possession and she'll truly be the scullery maid that she is.

TO BE CONTINUED