"Cinder, why do you feel you have to do this? We could have sent someone, if you really want to invite them, but why let them see you? They don't deserve it."
The boy didn't look at Liam as he tried to talk him out of his decision. Cinder slowly took the three steps up to the front doors of the Tremanè Chateau. "They may have made bad decisions, and I may still fear what they'll say or do to me, but they took care of me, if you could call it that, they're the only family I have, and I know this is the least of what they deserve."
Liam stood behind his fiancé, edgy and restless as the boy knocked, three times, as loud as he could muster. With the silence that followed, he realized he probably hadn't knocked loud enough. He reached out and banged on the door three more times, louder than before.
Behind the house, the sun was going down, throwing orange and purple across the sky. Cinder waited, but Liam grew impatient. He leaned over the boy and knocked louder, four more times. The door opened right as his fist left the wood.
Annabella stood there, holding the door open, with a dumbfounded look on stuck to her face. She tilted her head to the side, questioning, looking at Cinder, and then she noticed the handsomely dressed prince standing behind him, glaring at her.
"Your Highness," she exclaimed, "Where have you-"
"Who is it, Annabella?" The voice came from the top of the main entrance stairs. Cinder could barely see past his step-sister's shoulder, but he caught a glimpse of his step-father, trailed by Desmond in a flash of green. The boy noticed, as the two men came closer, that Desmond's eyes widened as he assessed the situation, taking in his beloved with the Prince standing protectively behind him.
Annabella turned away from the guests at the door to watch her brother and father descend the stairs. "It's the Prince… And Cinder." The girl looked back at them sadly and opened the door for them to go in.
"Cinder," Master Tremanè's eyes widened now, "and the Prince Liam?" He saw the two men enter and his eyes narrowed. "Cinder," he shouted, "Where have you been!? I'm sorry, Your Majesty, for my boy causing you trouble!"
"Sir," Liam took a step forward, his eyes narrowed as he spoke in an authorative tone, "I suggest you do not embarrass yourself further by saying any more."
Master Tremanè recoiled slightly, and behind him, Desmond was seething. His nails stabbed into his palms as he balled his fists, his eyes began to darken, and he bit his lip almost hard enough to draw blood.
"I, however bitterly, formerly invite you to my royal wedding, held tomorrow in the late noon," Liam almost growled.
"Liam," Cinder said under his breath, "Let me do this."
The Prince's glare softened when he looked at his bride-to-be. He took a step back and watched the ground, always looking back up at the other adults in the room, keeping a more careful eye on Desmond than the rest.
"Cinder, what is this all about? I hope you know how much trouble you're in!"
"Step-father," the boy began, hesitating, and stumbling over words in his mind, trying to find the right ones, "I have some news for you, family… You might not like it, but to me it's good news."
"What news could you possibly have for us," Master Tremanè asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes to add to the effect. He glared evenly between his young step-son and the prince that had come with him. He could already tell he wouldn't like the news. Any news good for Cinder would most likely be bad for them. Master Tremanè felt a sudden pang in his heart, though he couldn't tell if it was fear or worry.
"I'm getting married," Cinder said, offering a shy, hopeful smile, "And then I'm leaving this place."
"Like hell you are," Desmond burst suddenly, pushing past his father. Master Tremanè grabbed his son by the wrist and pulled him backwards. "Calm yourself, Desmond," the older man commanded.
"How can I be calm," Desmond was still shouting, "He plans on leaving us! Leaving me! I won't sit still for that!"
Master Tremanè ignored his son and instead turned a worry-wrinkled face to Cinder. "Are you marrying him," he inclined his head to the Prince.
Cinder nodded.
"No," Annabella suddenly screamed, "I was supposed to marry the Prince!"
The male faces all turned to her. She had been so quiet until this point; they had almost forgotten she was there. "Cinder, you've always been good to me," she wailed, "Why are you suddenly stealing my things? You're so selfish! We gave you everything you needed!"
"Annabella," Cinder whimpered sadly, almost regretfully. But he shook his head, "I'm sorry, but he asked and I accepted."
"I told you what would happen if you went near him," Desmond was shouting at Liam now, and Master Tremanè had to restrain him as he tried to reach the prince, "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch Prince!"
Annabella wiped tears out of her eyes and Cinder stared at Desmond, who ignored him in his anger. "Let go of me, father," he continued to shout, over and over, "I'll kill him! Cinder is mine!"
"Cinder," Annabella was crying again, though over her lost prince or her leaving step-brother, it was hard to tell, "Who will take care of us? Who will bring me breakfast in the morning and do my hair?"
"Annabella," Master Tremanè spat out, huffing from the effort of holding his son away from charging the Prince.
"You have lots of money," Cinder interrupted his step-father, "I'm sure you could hire someone else to do it. Or you could even learn to do it for yourself!"
Annabella nodded sadly and continued wiping her tears, too choked up to say more.
"What do you have to say for yourself," Desmond yelled to Prince Liam, "How could you take him away, you bastard!"
Liam met Cinder's sad eyes. The boy nodded to him. "I think it's time we left," he told his step-family, "But my intent today was to say farewell. I'll never come to this house again, even if it kills me. But with that said, I want you to accept an invitation to the wedding, so this catastrophe isn't our last memory together."
Desmond had quieted down, but he still struggled against his father's grip.
Cinder took a blue and silver ribbon-tied envelope from his jacket pocket and placed it on a side table by the door. Liam opened the door for Cinder as they showed themselves out. The boy looked back for a second, as he realized this might be the last time he saw any of the people he had been raised with. Desmond had stopped struggling, and he had a stony look in his eyes. Annabella was fleeing with a tear-soaked face up the stairs to her room. Master Tremanè sagged to his knees.
Cinder saw all this in a second, then he turned and walked down the porch steps to the carriage. Liam offered a simple polite bow, and then slammed the door on his way out.
In the carriage, Liam sighed and leaned heavily against the curtained window. "That was the most stressful, most difficult thing I've done in a long time," he groaned, rubbing his closed eyes.
Cinder sat next to him, looking out the opposite window. "Thank you for coming with me. I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own…"
The Prince looked at his soon to be bride and smiled a tired smile. "Anything for you, though I can't say I look forward to their attendance to our wedding now."
The small blonde boy smiled and scooted closer to his Prince. He reached out slowly, and Liam watched his hand come. It brushed his lips and cheek, and the Prince leaned into it welcomingly, closing his eyes and relaxing at the scent of Cinder's skin. With his eyes closed, Liam couldn't see the boy moving closer and leaning forward. He could feel the slight pull of his hand, and followed it, as the boy pulled their lips together.