"Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
This is a shorter chapter but it does have the forest scene referenced so I thought it would be alright. It is also the last chapter I had outlined when I started this story, so updates will be sporadic from now on. I'm deeply sorry and I will try to update as often as life lets me.
Disclaimer: Disney owns Cinderella, I just own my little changes and twist.
I hope you like the details I added in.
Please read and review!
The next morning, Cinderella got up and put on her (now old) favorite blue dress since she had put her blouse and skirt into the wash and had to rush to finish her chores since gathering up all the clothes took longer than she thought with the sheer number of clothes on the floor in her stepsister's rooms.
As it was, she was still tending the fire when her stepmother came down.
"I had hoped when you called that breakfast was ready." Her stepmother complained.
"It is, madam, I'm only mending the fire." Cinderella demurred.
"Well" Lady Tremaine sniffed. "In the future, can we not be called until the work is done?"
"Yes, madam." Cinderella murmured, wanting to avoid getting punished so early in the day.
Her stepsisters stumbled, yawning down the stairs and plopped down as if the walk has exhausted them already.
As Cinderella readied the table to serve breakfast, her stepmother questioned, "What's that on your face?"
For Cinderella had some ash left on her face from when she had curled by the fire to stay warm.
She touched her face, "Madam?"
Anastasia pointed out. "It's ash from the fireplace."
Lady Tremaine chided, "Do clean yourself up."
"You'll get cinders in our tea," Anastasia complained, though she ended with a yawn which weakened her disdainful expression.
Drizella suddenly sat up in excitement. "I've got a new name for her: Cinder Wench."
Anastasia gibed."She looks so dirty, how about Dirty Ella?"
"Girls, girls, you are too clever but since Cinderella already has cinder as part of her name, we should just call her Cinders." Stepmother declared with a malicious glint in her sharp eyes and cruel twist to her smile.
Cinderella swallowed down her hurt with some difficulty and she set the plates and then began to serve the bacon and toast.
As she started to pour the tea, her stepmother questioned with an all too innocent expression, "Who's this for? Is there someone we've forgotten?" as she placed a hand under chin and turned her face towards Cinderella.
Cinderella faltered in her pouring at the bold look and quietly said. "It's my place."
Lady Tremaine's eyebrows rose at this subtle challenge. "Oh, it seems too much to expect you to prepare breakfast, serve it and still sit with us. Wouldn't you prefer to eat once all of your work is done, Cinders? Hmm?".
Cinderella nodded and fought to keep her back straight as she left the room to the sound of her step family's cruel laughter and snorts.
She stumbled once in the kitchen and the plate dropped from her shaking hands. The sound of it shattering snapped her out of her numb state.
As she knelt to pick it up, a sharp edge pierced one of her trembling hands and blood started to pool.
She wrapped a white cloth around her palm and noted how white the cloth was compared to her skin. Suddenly, the dirt was all she could see, on her hands, on her favorite blue dress and on her distorted reflection in the sink of water for the dirty dishes.
For, you see, names have power, like magic spells. They can be a wonderful thing or a curse. To Cinderella, the shortening of her name seemed to transform her into the very creature of ash and toil that her stepfamily saw her as.
Everything she had suffered and suppressed while working since her father's death had suddenly come to the surface and she had to get away or else never be clean and free again.
Five minutes later, she was riding her horse as hard and fast as she could to escape her grief.
Suddenly, she came upon a stag in the woods.
He reared and Cinderella's horse reared in response.
Cinderella panted, "Woh! Woh! Woh!" and her horse returned to all fours.
She continued to stare at the stag in wonder till the call of a hunting horn and dogs baying broke through.
Cinderella warned, "Run quickly my friend or they'll catch you. Go!"
The stag turned and ran, perhaps sensing the threat himself.
Cinderella's horse, already nervous, then bolted after the stag in the opposite direction from the dogs.
Cinderella cried 'Oh easy!" in an attempt to slow her horse down.
As it just so happens, she was not alone in the woods that day for Prince Kit was part of a hunting party chasing the stag.
He caught a glimpse girl on a horse that was going very fast out of the corner of his eye and immediately came over to help.
Cinderella continued to try and calm her horse down but was not having much success. "Easy! Easy! Woh, woh! Easy, boy. Come on now, boy, slow down!" Her voice was too full of stress and worry from her earlier upset to soothe her horse.
Prince Kit rode over to help her and called out, "Miss! Miss, are you alright? Hold on."
He grabbed the reins and with his added strength and his calmer voice, her horse slowed down.
Cinderella breathlessly answered him. "I'm alright, thank you."
Then, a bit firmer as her horse came to a stop. "I'm fine."
Kit asked once more as their horse became to circle each other. "Are you sure you're alright?" For he could see the tears tracks drying and the high color in her cheeks.
Cinderella responded with a bit more spirit, "I'm alright, but you nearly frightened the life out of him!"
Kit questioned, "Who?"
"The stage! What's he ever done to you that you should chase him about?" Cinderella exclaimed.
Kit chuckled, a pleasant sound to Cinderella's ears for it had no disdain or mockery in it. "I must confess, I've never met him before. He is a friend of yours?"
"An acquaintance." Cinderella countered. "We met just now. I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine and I … just felt he had a great deal more to do with his life, that's all. Cinderella finished with hope in both her words and her eyes.
"Miss, what do they call you?" Kit asked. "For this being our third meeting, I feel I should know your name by now." He finished with a friendly smile.
"Never mind what they call me." She said, turning her face with shame as she thought of how her stepsisters had made her name into a joke, an insult.
He wondered what could have made her ashamed of her name, for it could be nothing she had done.
"You shouldn't be this deep in the forest alone, not a lovely girl like you." Kit warned her.
Kit was suddenly thinking of what some of the Duke's guard would do to a beautiful girl like her all by herself. Hopefully nothing more than flirting but some of the Duke's guard had...reputations.
This girl was so different too, she was boldly and passionately arguing her beliefs yet she was someone's servant, who were usually disposed to stay out of trouble, especially if it didn't concern them. She was quite the contradiction and he was fascinated.
She looked so pretty with her light blonde hair falling down her back in waves and her rich brown eyes full of passion and her pretty pink mouth.
A rosy blush had came over her face at his words and she ducked her head, unsure of how to react.
So, she was modest, he thought, yet another nice change from the court ladies who demanded and teased for flattery. Though he had already learned of that when he saw her in the flower festival and then again with the market meeting. She seemed unaware of her own humility and her willingness to see the best in others.
"I'm not alone. I have my horse, Major and I'm with you, Mister…What do they call you? After all, I should know your name after you were so kind as to return my key, pick up my packages and help with my horse" Her eyes sparked with curiosity.
Kit chuckled at her attempt at humor and the question, for it was one he couldn't remember being asked.
He was dressed in plain garb with a simple light blue shirt and brown breeches, it's true and he had left his hair loose, instead his usual small ponytail, to hide his birthmark but he didn't think he looked that different.
Then, he saw in her face with its open expression and she actually seemed like she was waiting on a response from him.
"You don't know who I am?" he questioned, too shocked to think about how strange that would sound if she didn't and then pieces began to fall into place about their conversations, and how she didn't think it strange that he wanted to be someone else and to be treated like normal person.
Perhaps there was a girl who didn't obsess over him, who wasn't desperate for a chance to marry him, one who could be a friend.
"That is…" he wanted her to continue behaving as she had, not to change once she knew him as a prince for he deeply wanted a real friend in addition to Alistair.
"They call me Kit. Well my father does when he's in a good mood." Kit chuckled.
She accepted his name and asked, "And…where do you live, Mr. Kit?
He didn't want to lie to her…not this girl who spoke her mind and had such warm brown eyes.
"At the palace. My father's teaching me his trade." There, that was the truth.
"You're an apprentice?" She questioned with a bright smile that Kit sought to save to his memory.
"Of a sort." He answered shifting as he danced around lying.
She smiled brightly. "That's very fine. Do they treat you well?"
Kit smiled brightly in return. "Better than I deserve, most likely" thinking of how patient his teachers and friends were.
"And you?" he asked.
"They treat me as they're able." She answered with a sigh and sad smile.
"I'm sorry." How he wished that wasn't the case for her.
"It's not your doing." She seemed surprised that he would care.
"Nor yours either, I'll bet." Kit reassured.
He just knew that this maiden with a heart to ask after his treatment and whom saw how being queen could bring joy to others and whom apologized to him for running away the first time they met couldn't be the source for her own unhappiness.
Cinderella went on bravely. "It's not so very bad. Others…others have it worse, I'm sure. We must simply have courage and be kind, mustn't we?
Kit marveled at her courage and her selflessness. "Yes."
He smiled, "You're right. That's exactly how I feel."
The sounds of the dogs and the men in the hunting party encroached upon their moment.
"Please don't let them hurt him." Cinderella pleaded.
Kit hesitated, "But we're hunting…" Just then, he remembered their conversation in the market. "But just because it's what done doesn't mean it's what should be done, right?"
Cinderella stared in astonishment that he remembered her words. "Right." She managed to get out.
"So, we will leave him alone, I give you my word." Kit vowed. After all, the castle had no shortage of meat and hunting for sport could be the first thing he changed.
"Thank you, Mr. Kit." Cinderella beamed at him. "My name is Cinderella."
"Cinderella." Kit repeated.
"Yes," She blushed. "I just thought you had the right to know as well."
Just then Alistair appeared in his guard uniform. "Ah there you are, Your High…
Kit rushed to cut him off, wanting to stay as her Mr. Kit for a while longer.
"It's Kit! Kit! Kit! I'm Kit." He ended feeling very silly. "I'm on my way."
"Well, we'd better get a move on, Mr. Kit" Alistair said with the underlying message "you own me a detailed explanation".
"As I said, On my way." He laughed at the look Alistair gave him as he walked toward him.
"I hope to see you again, miss…?."
He smiled once more at her and ran off, determined to see her once more.
"And I, you" She replied, blushing prettily.
When Cinderella returned home, her stepmother was watching and scowled at the sight of Cinderella's happy face. She had come so close that morning to finally breaking her down but Cinderella had somehow recovered.
Cinderella quickly stabled her horse and returned to the kitchen.
As she started on the dishes, her stepmother entered the room.
"Oh, how nice of you to start your chores." She commented in a light carefree tone. "I hope you weren't too busy with all of your friends to meet."
Cinderella was too unsure of how to act so she simply shook her head.
"Come now," Stepmother cajoled. "You must have had someone to go to on your ride if you came back with a smile on your face."
"No stepmother." Cinderella murmured. "It was just a nice day." She hedged.
Her stepmother's eyes narrowed. "Tell me the truth Cinders, now, or I will beat it out of you, hussy." She spat out. "Who was the man you met? Hmm? Someone willing to tell you lies about your worth?"
"There was no one, I set out to met with no one." Cinderella's voice quavered. She knew that she was close to lying but to have her friendship turned into something twisted was worth the lie.
"Very well." Her stepmother's eyes gleamed. "Since you won't tell me the truth Cinders, you will suffer the consequences."
Even as she was whipped, Cinderella was grateful to have met Kit that day. He was proof of the good in the world, of the kindness that existed. He had helped her three times thus far and he knew her real name. He didn't see her as dirt but as person with thoughts and ideas. That hope was something her stepmother couldn't beat out her though she had come close this morning, but now Cinderella was armed with the best weapon anyone can have, a true friend.
I just love the scene in the woods, shows both Kit and Cinderella's characters so well.
What did you all think?
