1: Cendrillon.

Summary: Not every fairytale has a happy ending, hon.

Pairing(s): PiperxJason.

Genre: Romance, Tragedy, tiny Fantasy.

World: AU-ish, still has Romans and Greeks, all that rivalry.

Songs listened to while writing: Cendrillon cover by Machigerita and Hazukiyura. Cendrillon cover by Tourai and Usa.

Warnings: Cheesy plot, assassination, love-at-first-sight and suicide.

Disclaimer: Be realistic. NOTHING.

Date Written: 16/07/2012

The bells ring, signalling the eleventh hour. In one hour, everything will change.

~J~

A prince smiles warily at the crowd, knowing this is all fake, that all that matters to these people is his father.

Eat voltage!

~P~

"Kill him, hon," her sister's voice, cold, compelling like something that belongs to the snow goddess, is deadly and silky. A dagger is gripped into her hand, and she clenches it, not understanding, only following the charmspeak as it vibrates and sinks into her very core, the duty carved into her.

Drew pushes her away, and her other siblings catch her; only to prepare her, beautifying the rough coal they're given, trying to polish her into a diamond, just for the night.

~J~

He's good-looking, - a golden haired Prince Charming – and the heir to a kingdom – an empire! That's enough to draw all the ladies' attentions to him, but that's not what he wants.

He hides it under his mask, though. He can't show complaint, not when his father is the king of kings.

~P~

The dagger is well-polished, enough to be a mirror. Her previously choppy hair is long and lustrous, flowing chocolate, in a gorgeous braid down her back. She never wears jewelry, but that's what she's doing, and she supposes she looks nice, but she'd rather be in rags at the moment, away from this party.

~J~

The doors open to let another person into the extravagant room. He looks up – and freezes.

~P~

She stumbles, but no one notices, and somehow, she's welcomed, considered one of them. She hates it instantly.

~J~

She's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, the princess in the white dress with kaleidoscope eyes.

~P~

The glass shoes are killing her. Ironic. That's what she's supposed to be doing to him. Trying not to fall, she steps forward, smiling embarrassedly at surrounding people. She'll be lucky if the prince comes near her tonight.

~J~

As if he's in a daze, he pushes through the crowd, subconsciously muttering apologies, trying to catch that angel before her wings let her escape.

~P~

Someone taps her one the shoulder. She turns – and freezes. The prince. The Fates are not at either of their sides, it seems.

He extends a hand and asks to dance. An invitation to dance with him. She doesn't refuse, and goes along.

~J~

Slowly, they talk. She opens up, and it seems her personality is even more beautiful than her outer shell. He says so, and she blushes.

~P~

Tired, she winces when the music starts again. He leads her to a private place, where they can rest. It can't get much more perfect than this, and yet, the dagger stays hidden in her skirts.

~J~

She's pondering something. He can tell, and yet, he doesn't want to probe.

~P~

It hurts, fighting against the cruel words ordering her to kill him. Him. The prince. Somehow, she's in love.

Curse her mother.

~J~

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" she blurts, and then apologizes, scarlet with mortification.

He kisses her.

~P~

Bigger dilemma. What does one do in a situation like this?

You're in love with him. You need to kill him. The answer...?

She'd laugh, only her fingers are creeping to the hidden mirror blade. The clock begins to ring. Midnight.

~J~

Did he do the right thing?

The answer seems to be a red spot blooming in his chest as the princess stares at the knife in her hands, pure horror shifting the pretty colours in her eyes.

Bells ring, the clock has changed the hour.

~P~

Tears are dripping down her face. She begs him for forgiveness, and oh, gods, what did she do?

"You're a Greek?"

She nods. Regret is all he sees in her eyes, regret and love.

He smiles rather brightly for someone dying, and wipes her face of tears.

~J~

The light shifting through the stained glass colours her in a rainbow. He doesn't want her to cry, doesn't want her to be sad.

"Smile, Piper," he tells her, and she does, albeit with glistening tears.

The warm feeling is fading, and he's going numb. She kisses him, this time, and he closes his eyes.

~P~

He's dead. She hopes Drew is happy.

The blade finds itself buried in her, and she falls into his still-warm body, together like a fairytale.

"Alright, Jason."