Crimerella
Almost there… Bong… Bong… Bong… We're out of town… Bong… Bong… Bong… Into the woods… Bong… Bong… Bong… The garden entrance is so close… Bong… Bong… Bong… Time seemed to slow down as the transformations began; one by one, the horses changed back into their tiny forms, the driver turned back into the cat, and the footman back into a chicken; all with the same flare with which they were originally transformed. Maeve felt the walls of her pumpkin carriage closing in on her as the magic wore away with each passing second before being thrown forward as the wheels vanished, the pumpkin crashing to ground. The girl stood up shakily and examined herself; Emily's dress had been ripped to shreds prior to her adventure and was only dirty now. She had some scrapes, but nothing her clothes couldn't cover.
"It was worth it." Maeve told herself as she jogged into the house and entered the house through the kitchen. "Kate?" Hearing her best friend's voice, Kate hurried into the kitchen.
"Finally, you're back! We need to get you changed before they come home."
"Okay, okay!" The girls rushed upstairs to Maeve's attic bedroom where the princess for the night deposited her remaining glass slipper and quickly disposed of the mutilated gown. Returning to the kitchen for a cup of tea, Maeve revealed her tale of meeting the prince and her narrow escape as midnight struck.
"You never told him your name?" Kate asked, surprise written on her face.
"I know it only takes a second, but I was only thinking about getting out of there before the magic wore off."
"Are you going to go back to see him?"
"How can I? I don't think they'd allow a servant who didn't work at the castle in the gates." Maeve stood and took their mugs to the sink. "Say they do let me in, who's to say that when he sees me for who I am, he won't reject me?" Before Kate could answer, the front door burst open and the three Blakes came into the kitchen; Kate quickly stood up to allow Alexandra to sit down.
"I'm telling you, Mother, he was interested in me!" Diane said as she kicked her heels off.
"Who's interested in you?" Maeve asked, setting three mugs of tea on the table.
"Prince Spencer! He danced with me all night! He brushed off the other girls and stayed with me."
"He barely acknowledged you, you twit." Emily said, glancing up at her stepsister. "He was all over that one girl."
"She stole his attention away from everyone! The tramp didn't even have an escort!" The elder sister whined.
"Now, Diane, you still have a chance. No one knows who she is, so no one will be able to find her." Alexandra reasoned with her daughter.
"Unless she came forward." All eyes turned towards Kate.
"If she comes forward, I will personally gouge her eyes out." Diane said darkly.
"That's brutal." Emily replied, moving her chair away from her sister.
"It's late. Let's discuss this in the morning." Alexandra stood up followed by her daughters. "Goodnight Kate, Maeve." Kate gathered up the mugs as the women left and Maeve leaned against the counter, lightly touching her eyes.
"You don't think she would actually gouge out her eyes, do you?" She asked, making sure Diane wasn't listening in.
"I think she care more about her nails than destroying someone's eyesight."
"Good point." The girls shared a small laugh.
"Come on" Kate led the younger girl out of the kitchen. "You've had a long night."
Spencer and Derek entered the throne room and found King Aaron and Duke Rossi talking with a messenger.
"Ah, Spencer, I was just about to send someone to come get you." Aaron said, turning towards the boys.
"Father, do you have any idea on how we're going to find the mystery girl?"
"We have a few." Rossi led Spencer and Derek to a table near the thrones where a piece of paper lay.
"We were thinking about sending a messenger into town to announce that she come forward. If that doesn't work, then we go door to door with the shoe she left behind and have women try it on." Aaron explained.
"Hotch, what if multiple girls fit into it?" Derek asked.
"I could ask her where I took her last night." Spencer said.
"Do you think it'll work, Spencer?" Rossi asked.
"It has to. I need to see her again." Spencer looked between his father and Rossi.
"If we end up going door to door, Derek or Dave will accompany you, is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Master Gideon," Aaron turned to the messenger. "Go into town and announce for the girl to come forward."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Hear ye! Hear ye!" Maeve and Diane stopped walking when they heard Master Gideon cry out. "Know that our prince hereby declares his love for the mysterious girl who wore glass slippers to the ball. King Aaron requests that she present herself at the palace where, if she be willing, Prince Spencer will marry her." Gasps and people talking filled the air, but Maeve couldn't hear any of it. Spencer wanted to marry her? She could hear Diane squeal next to her and feel her stepsister dragging her home.
"Mother!" Diane screeched when she and Maeve entered the house. Diane calmly appeared at the top of the staircase followed by a frantic Emily.
"Diane, there's no need to shout. Now what do you need?"
"King Aaron and Prince Spencer requested that the mystery girl come forward!" Now Alexandra was frantic.
"Well what are you waiting for? We need to get you to the castle!" She said to her daughter as she rushed down the stairs.
"But she wasn't the one who was with the prince last night." Emily said, following her mother.
"Yes, but we're the only ones that know that."
"He might question you though." Maeve said. After a confused glance from her stepfamily, she added, "How else would he find out who that girl is?"
"I never thought I'd say this, but she's right, Mother. I'm not exactly prepared for that." Diane reluctantly agreed with her stepsister.
"Nonsense, the prince will take one look at you and know you're the one. We must go now, there's bound to be many women trying to convince him that they are the mystery girl." Maeve and Emily watched them leave before looking at each other.
"Do you think the prince will believe her?" Maeve asked.
"Not one bit. Oh, by the way, you looked stunning last night"
"Thank you!"
"And glass slippers?
"Surprisingly comfortable. Do you want to see?"
"Yes!" Maeve led her stepsister up to the attic and uncovered the shimmering shoe. "It's beautiful. Hey, how exactly did you get to the ball in that gown?" What the girls didn't know was that Diane and Alexandra hadn't left yet; Diane made her way to her bedroom to retrieve a flattering necklace, passing by the open stairway to the attic; she heard Emily ask Maeve about the ball. She stood in the doorway and listened to her stepsister talk about her night at the ball, how her gown got repaired, and how she got to the castle. With this new information, Diane rushed outside to tell her mother about her findings.
"Maeve was at the ball last night!" She cried, running up to the carriage full speed.
"What?!" Alexandra said as her daughter climbed back into the carriage.
"I heard her and Emily talking and it gets worse."
"How does it get worse than that vulgar girl making an appearance at the ball?"
"She has the glass slippers that the town crier mentioned. Maeve is the girl Prince Spencer wants to marry."
"We cannot let that happen."
Spencer stood next to Rossi as an older woman left the throne room, having failed to answer his questions correctly; they had been working for hours and they were nowhere near finding the mystery girl .
"Rossi, this isn't working. Maybe we should just go door to door?"
"I'm starting to agree with you." Rossi walked to the door and told the guard to dismiss the women for the day. Outside, Alexandra and Diane stood surprised that the prince wouldn't see them.
"Mother, what if Maeve tries to come forward? We need to prevent the prince from finding her."
"I will take care of it, don't worry my dear."
As the Blakes left the castle, a woman who stood behind them watched them go; what Diane and Alexandra didn't know was that the woman had heard everything they had said. She waited until the mother and daughter were gone before approaching a guard and informing him of her newfound information. The guard led her into the throne room where Duke Rossi and Prince Spencer waited.
"Your Highness." She curtsied.
"My lady, what's your name?" Rossi asked.
"Tara Lewis, Your Grace."
"You come with information about our mystery girl?" Spencer guessed.
"Yes, I overheard Ladies Alexandra and Diane Blake speaking of a girl named Maeve. They said they needed to prevent you from finding her." Tara explained.
"Did they say why they didn't want me to find her?"
"I don't know why exactly, but I would assume it would be so Diane could marry you."
"Thank you, Tara. You will not go unrewarded for your help." Rossi said.
"Rossi, you wouldn't happen to remember where the Blakes live, would you?"
Alexandra and Diane arrived back at the manor and found Kate sweeping the steps.
"Where is Maeve?" Alexandra demanded.
"She went to the market to buy dinner."
"When will she be back?"
"I don't know, soon I think." Kate watched as the women entered the house, slightly confused and worried. Maeve returned a short time later and was met by Kate waiting for her, worry etched on her face.
"Kate, is everything okay?"
"I don't know. Your stepmother and Diane got back not long ago and they didn't even step inside before asking where you were. Do you think they know?"
"I hope not." Maeve set her basket on the kitchen table and whispered to her." I'm going to check if the shoe is still there. Could you put all this away?"
"Of course." Kate set to work as Maeve made her way to the attic. She entered the spacious room and lifted a floor plank next to her bed to reveal a box of trinkets. But the glass slipper was not there.
"Looking for this?" A voice came from a dark corner of the room. Maeve's breath hitched as she glanced up to see Alexandra gliding towards her, holding the shoe. "Interesting how you have the one item that the prince is searching for."
"Stepmother…"
"How did you come across this? Did you steal it?"
"No, it was given to me."
"Nothing is ever given. We must pay for everything."
"That's not true." Maeve argued, standing to face her stepmother. "Love is free."
"Love is not free. Now, here is what is going to happen: Diane is going to take this shoe to the castle and the prince is going to marry her. She, Emily, and I will go to live there, Kate will stay here and care for the manor while you are sold off to the highest bidder. Until then," Alexandra pulled out a key and strutted to the door. "You will remain here. Goodbye, stepdaughter."
Fear crossed Maeve's face as she rushed to the door, yanking on the cold doorknob, and her fist pounded on the door in rhythm to her heart in her chest, but she knew she would not be leaving anytime soon.
