Cindered

Chapter 6

By the time Edmund and Cinderella arrived back at the castle on Tulip, the rain had been pouring for quite some time and both were soaked. Of course she would have waited for him to put the horse away, but Edmund insisted she go on ahead to change so she did not catch a cold.

Trudging past Prunella's room, Cinderella heard a squeal of delight and stopped. "Oh my goodness!" It was Drizella, and she was staring at her, laughing. "You look like a drowned rat."

Step-Mother came into the doorway, not at all pleased. "Where have you been? I thought your orders were strictly to clean. God knows what their majesties must think of us, not being able to control our own servant!"

"The Prince--"

Drizella became deadly serious, now glaring at Cinderella. "You were with him?"

"He asked me to help out at the stables," She lied.

"So that's why you stink." Prunella replied, scrunching up her nose so that she unintentionally looked like a pig.

"I don't want you anywhere near him." Drizella continued, advancing slightly.

Cinderella took a tiny step back, "I know... I just thought that my refusing to do as he said would make you look bad."

Step-Mother straightened to seem important, "How right you are."

"She is?" Drizella and Prunella chorused, confused.

"No matter how wrong she was to defy my orders... The most important thing until you are wed to Edmund, dear Drizella, is that we not give them any reason to suspect you aren't queen material." The older woman explained. "The prince must be under the impression that we are kind and willing to let our servants enjoy themselves every once in a while..."

"Fine... Just keep your distance from him," growled Drizella before retreating from the bedroom, followed closely by a consoling Prunella.

Step-Mother took a few steps toward Cinderella and dropped her voice to a threatening tone. "You are to go to your room for the rest of the night. I do not want to see you until tomorrow, even if it means you get no supper. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Step-Mother," answered Cinderella, head down.

"Now that we are in the castle you will address me as Your Grace." She said.

"Yes, your Grace." Cinderella echoed. She waited for the older woman to move, but when she did not, Cinderella slowly walked away first and went straight to her room.

By the time Cinderella had changed into dry clothes, the rain had ceased but the sun was setting. As she sat at the end of her bed, her stomach growled and she knew everyone else would be almost done with dinner. She wondered what they would be having that evening... To take her mind off of how hungry she was, Cinderella went over to the large chest sitting under her windowsill and opened the lid just enough to fit her arm inside.

Pulling her arm back out, she had fetched a tattered book with an old black leather cover. It was a book of fairy tales her father had given her before he had passed. Cinderella opened the book to a ribbon marker halfway through but did not have time to start reading as there was a knock at the door.

Slowly opening the door, she was surprised to see Constance standing there, holding a tray of covered plates. Constance came in and set the tray onto Cinderella's vanity desk as the door closed. "Aren't you supposed to be helping serve?" Cinderella asked.

"Dinner is over," Constance replied, removing the metal covers from atop the food. She had brought duck in gravy, a few biscuits, a mix of carrots and corn, and two cups of chocolate mousse for dessert—one for each of them.

"I've never had duck before," observed Cinderella excitedly.

Constance just shrugged, picked up a biscuit and began to nibble at it. "It tastes the same as any other game, I think."

Cinderella liked the duck, but she found that she really liked the biscuits they made in this castle because they had a sweet buttery flavor she'd never tasted anywhere else before. And it had certainly been years since she had been allowed to have mousse, so this dessert was like heaven.

The girls talked while Cinderella ate, sitting on her bed. "Your mistresses are not very nice, are they? Miss Prunella stopped me in the hall when I was bringing you dinner. Asked me where I was going..."

Cinderella swallowed a bite of the chocolate and looked at her. "What did you tell her?"

"She gave me a strange feeling, so I lied a little. I told her I was bringing it to a servant who was sick and couldn't come down to dinner." Constance finished her own mousse. "It wasn't a complete lie. You couldn't come down to dinner. Have you always been their servant?"

"For quite a long time, yes," Cinderella responded, finishing the dessert and sitting back slightly.

Constance studied the girl for a moment before she asked, "Do you not have any family?"

Remembering her mother was impossible since she had died as soon as Cinderella had been born, but the memories of her father were fresh in her mind as if he had still been alive the day before. He had been a very gentle man, though big, and kind to all. Every night she would fall asleep to his adventurous stores of travel, or to books he had brought back with him. She had loved him more than anything else in the world, and her heart would never forget him as long as she lived...

"No," She said, simply. "I do not."

Cinderella's friend frowned. "I am alone as well. I had a sister, once."

"You did?"

"Yes," Constance nodded, solemnly. "Sandrine was a few years older than I. I used to follow her everywhere."

Cinderella was quiet, the air suddenly becoming very sensitive. "What happened to her?"

"She died, of course. I don't know how, or why. That is something I've always wondered. All I know is that her death resulted in my placement at the palace." Puzzled by Constance's words, Cinderella began to ask how that could be—how her sister's death could be at all connected to being a servant at the palace—but the girl continued with a small chuckle. "I know it's strange, isn't it? It all happened so quickly. Our parents passed on, and for years it was just me and Sandrine. All of a sudden, Sandrine was gone, and I was summoned to the palace. Now here I am."

Cinderella gave a sympathetic smile to Constance, and looked down only until her friend spoke again.

"I find it odd that you were placed in such a nice room... since your mistresses are so uncaring towards you. And also, you seem to have very nice things." Constance stood from the bed and walked over to observe the large chest under the window.

Jumping up, Cinderella went to her side. "I think they are just trying to make themselves look good... making it look like they treat their servant well."

"It wouldn't matter to their majesties if you were placed with the rest of the servants; there is no need to put you up here..." Kneeling down to the floor, Constance touched the lid of the chest. "What do you have in here?"

Just as the lid was being opened, Cinderella put her hand on it to keep it closed. "Nothing. Just cleaning things. My mistresses are particular about that sort of thing... er... not trusting the way they clean here in the castle, no offense."

Shrugging, Constance got up and headed for the door, picking up the tray of empty dishes on her way. "I only cook and serve. I don't clean. It's very late so I should be getting back to bed. Their majesties are having a tea party in the courtyard tomorrow and I need to be rested."

"Alright," Cinderella followed to the door and opened it for her. "Thank you very much for thinking of me tonight."

Constance gave a quick smile before walking into the hallway. "What are friends for? Goodnight."

As Cinderella closed the door, her heart seemed to swell. After all these years of being ordered around by Step-Mother and her step sisters, of having no indifferent company other than the mice that shared occupancy of their small home back in the village, she finally had a friend. This was all new to her, and was possibly the best feeling she'd had in a long time—to no longer be alone...

That night, sleep came with a smile.