Claire couldn't help but feel that checking on her daughter was akin to defusing a bomb. She knew that with one wrong move, she could wake the generally unsettled child, and the resulting damage would cost her a good chunk of her evening. Thankfully, she seemed to be deeply asleep at the moment, so Claire tiptoed out of her room delicately, praying she wouldn't make a sound. When she reached the door, a tiny voice made her tense up.
"Tell me a story, Mama."
Claire sighed.
"I thought you were asleep . . ."
"I was, but now I wanna hear a story."
Claire grumbled and sat by her bedside.
"If I tell you a story, will you go to sleep?"
"Mhm."
"I know you're lying."
"Please . . ."
Claire rolled her eyes.
"Okay, but no funny business after that. Promise?"
"Promise."
She took a deep breath.
"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella . . ."
"Was she a dinosaur?"
"She- Um . . . Yes. Yes, she was. She was a Stegoceratops. She worked very hard, but nobody ever appreciated what she did, and that made her sad. Or angry. She wasn't really sure why people didn't take her seriously. It might have been a dinosaur thing or a woman thing, but in any case, she didn't get the respect she deserved in her job as Park Ma- I mean . . . as a maid. She worked all day cleaning for her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizara- erm, Drizella, who were really ungrateful, all things considered."
"I thought Zara worked for you."
"Hush. I'm not in this story, and neither is she. Anyway, Cl- Cinderella . . . the dinosaur Cinderella had a magic flower that made her human. When she swallowed the petals, she was able to change shape for an hour or so and go into town. She had many friends, but none of them knew about her secret life as a dinosaur."
***C***
She was unable to leave her deceased father's house, because her magic flower was guarded by her wicked stepmother, and she feared if she ran away, she would not be able to maintain the plant as she lived in hiding. She couldn't live life as a dinosaur, so she chose to endure the abuse of her so-called family. It was nothing compared to the persecution of the outside world, after all.
One day, she made a trip to the village before finishing her chores, which angered her stepmother. There was to be a ball that night, and the stepmother hoped to marry off her daughters to royalty. Cinderella was supposed to be mending the sisters' dresses, but even though she had allocated a certain amount of time to this task later in the day, those who didn't understand her itinerary might have believed she was putting it off entirely. Really, Cinderella herself couldn't care less about the ball, because she was a sensible girl who didn't believe in romance. Not for a dinosaur, anyway.
To teach Cinderella a lesson, her wicked stepmother smashed the magic flower, leaving only a few petals intact. Knowing the last petals would wither in time, Cinderella decided to use them to attend the ball, for she knew that all of her friends would be there, and she could say goodbye to each and every one of them. Her stepmother forbade her from going, but she stood her ground. To prevent this final wish of Cinderella's from coming true, she tore her only dress to pieces. Cinderella was forced to watch her stepmother and stepsisters ride away in a carriage, leaving her behind with a handful of withering petals.
Out of nowhere, a winged woman appeared. She told Cinderella that she was her fairy godmother, and she would give her the means to attend the ball.
"My magic will wear off with the flower's effects at the stroke of twelve," she said, "From this pumpkin, I will make a carriage. From these jerboas, I will make horses. From these Compsognathususes . . . Compsognathuses . . . From these tiny dinosaurs I will make footmen, and from your humble dress I will make a gown. Finally, I will make a gift of these high-heeled shoes made of glass, which will not disappear at midnight, for while change is temporary, creation is eternal."
Cinderella was grateful for these gifts, however, she could not forget the fact that after this night, she'd be trapped in her house for the rest of her life. Her trip to the castle was a solemn one, and she didn't believe she'd enjoy herself at this trivial and inconsequential event.
Unfortunately, she was mostly correct.
When she arrived at the castle, she rushed inside to say farewell to all of her friends, neglecting to give a reason for her sudden departure. She would not tell the truth, for she wanted them to remember her as she was. It took her only a half-hour to accomplish her mission, and when she did, she felt her heart sink. She knew she should be enjoying her last moments around other people, but instead, she ran into the courtyard and hid in a garden concealed by hedges, where she began to cry.
It wasn't long before she was joined by another. A handsome man tumbled out of the bushes, looking rather alarmed. Cinderella wiped her eyes and stood up.
"Who are you?"
He brushed himself off.
"You don't know?"
"I'm sorry. Have we met? I don't recognize people in fancy getups."
This was a lie, but she didn't want to admit that she had no clue who he was. He batted his eyes.
"No, we haven't met . . . I mean, we have now. How do you do?"
She bit her lip.
"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but could you maybe leave? I need some time alone."
"Can't leave. I'm hiding."
"Well, so am I. You don't own this garden, you know."
"Actually-"
"Forget it. I'll go."
He caught her hand.
"No, it's okay. There's no reason why we can't both hide here."
"But I want to be alone."
He shrugged.
"That doesn't help anything. Tell me what's wrong. Maybe you'll feel better."
She sighed and sat on a marble bench. He did the same, scooting a little closer to her after he was seated.
"This is the last time I'll be able to leave my house."
"Why?"
"I . . . I don't want to tell you."
"Okay. Are you sure there's no way to just . . . leave?"
She shook her head.
"I'm not meant to be free. If you saw what I was usually like, you'd understand."
"Are you a servant or something?"
"Kind of. There's more to it than that. What about you? Why are you here?"
He peeked over his shoulder.
"Oh, no reason. Just hiding from the ladies. My dad wants to marry me off, but for various reasons, I'm not interested."
Cinderella scoffed.
"I'm serious!" he stressed, "It's a real problem. I'm not saying it just to be a tool. I don't want to be stuck with the wrong person for all eternity. What if she doesn't really love me?"
"At least you'll be married. That's never gonna be an option for me."
"I wish we could trade places. I'd rather be alone than live a lie."
"Well, if so many girls are after you, odds are at least one of them will be sufficient."
He shook his head.
"They're just after the money. Nobody really likes me."
Cinderella looked at his golden epaulettes and red sash, and decided he was telling the truth about his wealth. She twisted her mouth.
"If you're so worried about people being distracted by your class, you could pretend to be something different. That's what I do."
He shook his head.
"It would never work. They'd see through it."
"That's what I thought too, but they seem to be true friends . . . Well, not true, exactly, since I'm sure they'd shun me if they knew what I was, but without my usual appearance, they seem to accept my personality, at least."
He sighed and leaned against the hedge behind them, then sat up when he realized how uncomfortable it was.
"I just can't see it working. Even if I dress differently, they'll be able to tell just by looking at me."
"How so?"
"I don't know. You can tell a lot about people just by looking at them."
Cinderella laughed.
"Now, that's not true. You didn't know I was a maid."
"You're too pretty to be a maid."
"Well, I suppose that's not permanent, but even so, your theory doesn't stand. You can't judge people based on their looks."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
He quirked a brow.
"Maybe you're right. People are deceptive. Sometimes they're the opposite of what they seem. I would have never guessed that you were anything other than nobility."
"See, that's what I'm saying! Appearances are never accurate. I mean, I look a billion times better than I usually do, and you're handsome enough to be the prince!"
He winced.
"Maybe that's a bad example . . ."
She stared at him for a moment, and when she realized what he was saying, her eyes went wide. She stumbled backwards, covering her mouth.
"Oh, no . . ."
He gulped.
"See, this is why I don't tell people . . ."
"Don't execute me . . ."
He reached for her hand.
"Come on. You know I wouldn't do that."
She shut her eyes.
"I'm so stupid . . ."
"No, you're not. I'm glad you treated me like a normal human being. I don't get to experience that very often."
"Me neither."
There was a long pause. The prince realized he was still holding Cinderella's hand. He took a deep breath.
"You know . . . We could just keep pretending that we're normal."
She looked into his eyes.
"Really?"
"Sure. Why not? No one's gonna stop us."
"Not until tomorrow."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Ah, forget tomorrow. All that matters is right now, and if this is your last night out on the town, you should enjoy every minute of it."
She smiled. As music began to echo faintly through the gardens, the prince kicked the grass gently, holding his hands behind his back.
"Hey . . . Do you wanna dance?"
"Dance?"
"Yeah. I know it's stupid, but I thought . . . I don't know. It might be nice."
She shrugged and put her hands on his shoulders.
"I guess it can't hurt anything, right? . . ."
"Yeah . . ."
They started to move slowly, but as time went on, their motion became less awkward. It wasn't long before the world slipped away, and they forgot that anything else mattered. Cinderella leaned her head against the prince's shoulder, and he ran his fingers through her hair. When she looked up at him, there was a silence in which they both guessed what the other was planning, and they leaned forward for a kiss simultaneously. When they pulled apart, the prince whispered in her ear.
"Stay here."
She sighed.
"I can't."
"Come on. You don't want to be trapped for the rest of your life. Neither do I. Stay here so we can both be free."
"You don't understand. This isn't who I am."
"I know who you are. You're the beautiful woman who walked into my life and made everything so much better."
She bit her lip.
"What if I wasn't so beautiful? . . ."
"I wouldn't care. I'm in love, and nothing will ever change that."
Cinderella took a deep breath.
"I-"
BONG!
The clock was beginning to strike midnight. Cinderella turned her head in alarm.
"I have to go!"
The prince's jaw hung open as she made her escape. He sprinted after her in panic.
"Wait! Don't go! I didn't mean to frighten you! Come back so we can talk about this!"
"No!"
"I'll renounce my title! I'll become exonerated!"
"That's not what that word means!"
"Please, I'll do anything!"
"It's not you! It's me! You don't understand!"
"Then explain it to me!"
BONG!
Tears pricked at her eyes. She turned around briefly to face him.
"I'm sorry. Even though this is going to end badly, I'm glad I met you."
"Don't go!"
"I wish I didn't have to. I would have gone home and lived my life as usual, but now I know I'm missing out on something. I'm not sad. I can't explain it, but I'm grateful."
"Then don't go!"
"I have to. Goodbye. I love you."
She whipped around, and he pursued her into the ballroom. As he crossed the dance floor, he was mobbed by a dozen women, who held him back as he thrashed around and tried to get a better sense of where his mysterious maid was headed. When he finally burst free, he saw her stumbling down the front staircase. She left a glass slipper behind. He ran over, picked it up, and knelt in front of his castle, lip quivering. After a pause, his face hardened, and he called out to his guards.
"Don't let her get away! Make sure she comes back unharmed!"
As the clock continued to chime, a dozen soldiers pursued the carriage. Cinderella looked back with fear in her eyes, hair blowing around chaotically. She rounded a corner, and suddenly, at the twelfth ring, the magic fizzled away, and her magnificent carriage crashed. Stunned, she lifted her head with ringing ears, and noticed a spiked tail hovering in her blurred vision. She sat up and gazed at the castle with longing, tears trickling down her cheeks. The guards slowed to a stop beside her. The lead soldier pointed with excitement.
"There she is! There she- Oh, my mistake. It's just a hybrid dinosaur and four jerboas sitting beside a smashed pumpkin. Nothing to see here."
And they continued their hopeless pursuit. Cinderella sniffled, wiping her snout with the back of her front leg, and began the long journey home.
When she arrived at her house, she shut the front door gently behind her, trying not to look at the distant castle. She limped up the staircase and collapsed on her bed, then began to sob heavily. She sniffled and peeked out her window, eyes shining.
"It figures I'd only find a reason to return to humanity on my last night of freedom. This is what I get for dreaming."
A large tear made it halfway down her face when she noticed something glimmering on her tail. She turned and saw her remaining shoe dangling off one of her tail spikes. She picked it up tenderly and cradled it against her chest, not knowing that across the province, her prince was doing the same with her missing slipper.
The next morning, Cinderella went about her chores with swollen eyes and limp plates. She swept the floor dismally, knowing that this was to be the first day of the rest of her life. She wondered if she'd get lucky and die of a broken heart.
Something interesting happened, however. A man came to the house in a royal carriage. When Cinderella's stepmother answered the door, the man inquired about the household's staff, specifically whether or not she employed any maids. She told him that their cleaner was a dinosaur whom they did not pay. He looked over her shoulder and saw Cinderella standing with a dustpan in her beak, and shook his head. He apologized for disturbing her, and was on his way.
A few hours later, he returned. This time, he asked to see every woman in the household. Cinderella went to line up with her stepmother and stepsisters, but the man said it wouldn't be necessary. She went back to sweeping.
Then, the coach arrived for a third time, much later in the day. Cinderella was shocked to see her prince step out of the carriage, holding her missing shoe. She tried to run and hide, but as she did, she knocked over a vase, and her stepmother demanded that she sweep up the broken pieces. She grabbed a dustpan, standing in full view of the door.
When the prince stepped inside the house, he was staring down at the transparent shoe with dismal longing. His footman walked past him and explained their purpose on his behalf.
"The prince has sent his men searching for the woman he met at the ball last night. She claimed to be a maid, and she had red hair, but on the latter point, the prince must have been mistaken, for the shoe fits no redhead in the province."
"I wasn't mistaken . . ." the prince muttered.
"In any case, he hasn't been satisfied with any of the eligible young ladies we've met thus far, and this is the last household we'll be visiting today."
During this dialogue, the prince had caught sight of Cinderella. She could feel him staring at her with curiosity. She tried to avoid looking suspicious.
"If the shoe fits any one of you ladies, you will be asked to return to the castle for the final round of elimination, at which point-"
Cinderella had made the mistake of glancing at the prince. When their eyes met, his face lit up, and he tossed the shoe to the side. He ran over and knelt in front of her, hugging her snout.
"I found her!"
He started planting kisses on her beak. The other occupants of the room gawked at him as though he had lost his mind.
"I was afraid I'd never see you again! Oh, you can't imagine how much I missed you these last few hours! Now we can go back to the castle and get married and start a family and- You know, you should probably tell me your name first. It doesn't really matter to me, of course. I'm just happy we're together."
The footman adjusted his monocle.
"Sire? . . ."
The prince blinked once, then realized how strange this must seem. He turned to Cinderella.
"This is the woman I was talking about. She wasn't a dinosaur last night, but I'm positive it was her. Go on: tell them. Tell them you were there."
She stared into his eyes, and he was puzzled by her doleful expression. He gulped and placed his hands on her cheeks.
"Tell them . . ."
The footman cleared his throat.
"Maybe she can't speak. She's just a dinosaur, after all."
And the prince realized that he was right, but not in the way he intended to be. She was just a dinosaur, and though she might be capable of speech, she did not have the confidence to face what might happen if she used this ability. She wanted to preserve her last moments of humanity by divorcing them from her current shape, living the rest of her life as an animal so that she would never have to face the pain of possible rejection.
The prince shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Come on. Tell them. You have to. Don't you love me?"
She did, but it was too late. She was a dinosaur, and he was a prince, and there was nothing to be done about that. He began to sob, and his footman took him by the arm.
"It's time to go home."
The prince shook his head, reaching out for Cinderella, but she lowered her muzzle and broke his gaze. As he moved farther and farther away from her, he became desperate, thrashing around until he had to be carried out by three men, shouting all the while. Cinderella watched the doors close on him, then went back to sweeping. After a few seconds, she slowed down and sat still. Her stepmother was watching her.
"I hope you're proud of yourself."
She wasn't. She was ashamed of what she'd done and of the person she was.
"You should have known better than to dream. If you think anyone would ever accept you out there, you're sorely mistaken."
Cinderella stared down at the shattered vase.
"You'll never be loved. He only wanted you when you were human."
When Cinderella saw her broken shoe lying in the corner of the room where the prince had left it, she knew that wasn't true. The fragments reflected light in her eyes, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling as they sparkled.
"Are you really willing to risk it all for a chance to be with someone who may not even love you?"
Cinderella stood up.
"You know what? I might be."
She ran up to her room and returned with her other glass slipper, which she carried in her mouth. She thundered out the front door and pursued the carriage, keeping the glass wedged in her beak. This was the sight the prince was confronted with when he happened to look in the rearview mirror-
***C***
"Carriages don't have rearview mirrors."
"And shoes aren't made of glass. Use your imagination."
***C***
This was the sight the prince was confronted with when he happened to look in the rearview mirror. He gasped and leaned out the back window, grinning from ear to ear.
"I knew it! I knew you loved me!"
She caught up to him, still running, and he took the slipper from her beak. Although Cinderella and the carriage were moving quite rapidly, the prince managed to slip it onto her horn.
"There. Perfect fit. And I just invented the world's first shoe-horn. Give me a second so I can tell the driver to slow d-"
All of a sudden, one of the carriage's wheels fell away, and after a bit of tumbling, it rolled over a cliff. The horses struggled to pull it back up, but they weren't strong enough. Cinderella watched in horror as her prince held onto the window for dear life, legs dangling over a hundred-foot drop. The carriage slid further.
Then, with a valiant moo, Cinderella grabbed the front of the coach with her beak and pulled it onto the cliff, using her dinosaur strength to assist the frightened horses. Soon, the prince was safe, and as it so happened, the king was rescued as well, for he had been sitting in the carriage the whole time. He stumbled out of the broken door and held his head.
"That dinosaur saved my life!" he marveled.
The prince ran up to her and hugged her neck.
"This is the girl I was telling you about, Dad. Can I marry her?"
"It's highly unorthodox, but okay."
The prince beamed and tickled her chin.
"Hear that? We're getting married, Claire- I mean Cinderella- I mean person whom I haven't learned the name of yet. This story isn't about Claire. Now we get to live happily ever after."
And they did.
***C***
"That was a nice story."
"I think so too."
"Can you tell me another one?"
Claire frowned.
"Lily, you promised . . ."
She yawned.
"Alright. Can you tell me one tomorrow?"
"Of course."
"I can't wait. Goodnight, Mama."
"Goodnight."
She kissed her forehead and tiptoed out of her room, closing the door gently behind her. Halfway down the hall, she bumped into Owen. He smiled roguishly.
"Did the little monster con you into telling stories again?"
"She did, but I don't mind. I like the way this one turned out."
"Mhm. I heard the part about the handsome prince. You should put a disclaimer in your book so that no one thinks you're basing it on persons dead or alive . . ."
She snorted.
"It's just a fairytale. Lord knows, you're no prince."
"But I wonder how much of it was true."
Claire froze. Owen lifted her chin with his index finger.
"You know you have nothing to worry about, right?"
"Uh-huh . . ."
"I'm serious. None of your friends are here to belittle you, Claire. Not even Zara."
"I know. It's just hard sometimes . . ."
He smiled sadly.
"Well, if anything goes wrong, remember that I'm here for you, alright?"
"I will."
"Good. I love you."
"And I love you, too."
As they entered their own room, Claire closed the door with her tail.
"You know, all things considered, I wouldn't mind wearing a pair of Stegoceratops-sized shoes."