Chapter Thirty-Eight
(NOTE: Prince Thomas is the one from Cinderella, and Prince David is the one from Snow White. I got the names from "Once Upon a Time".)
It's been several weeks since Sinbad's death. Everyone around Nesidy seemed to have moved on with their lives except Sinbad's close friends and his family. The Benbow Inn was as quiet as a church most of the time, and Mrs. Hawkins worked very hard to not break down in public. Melody also spent most of her time trying to keep Jim's spirits up so that he didn't do anything reckless from being depressed.
I was on my break from work and was heading upstairs for a little nap when I heard a knock at the inn's door. It wasn't exactly a private home, so it didn't make sense as to why someone would be knocking. I made my way over to the door and opened it to find a short man with white hair carrying a sack of letters on his back.
"An urgent message from his imperial majesty," said the man handing me an envelope.
"Thank you," I said roving my gaze over the envelope in curiosity as I shut the door.
"A letter?" asked Ariel when she saw me with the mail. Dimitri was working so she had stayed inside. "What's it say?"
"I don't know," I replied flipping the envelope around searching for some clue as to what may be inside, "He said it was urgent." I started searching for Mrs. Hawkins and found her in the dining room drinking a cup of coffee. My co-workers were spending their break there, too, and Jim and Melody were quietly talking in a corner of the room. Ariel followed me in there.
"Mrs. Hawkins," I said handing her the envelope, "This just came in. I was told it's important." Everyone eyed the letter curiously as Mrs. Hawkins opened it up and read it. Her blue eyes widened slightly. "There's to be a ball," she said aloud.
"A ball?!" repeated all of the other females excitedly.
"In honor of his highness, Prince Thomas," added Sarah.
"The prince?!" Rapunzel squeaked and I shot her a curious look.
"By royal command," Sarah continued reading, "every eligible maiden is to attend."
"Why, that's us!" said Ariel in astonishment.
"Not really," said Melody, "You've got Dimitri."
Ariel stuck her tongue out at her younger sister.
"I'm so eligible," Rapunzel muttered under her breath blushing.
"We can all go," said Tiana, "It'll be fun!"
"When is it?" Jim asked.
"Tonight," replied his mother. She then set down the letter and looked at everyone around her. "So is it agreed? Are we all going?"
"Yes," said Colette, "We all need a break and need to get our minds off… things."
Everyone agreed and ran off in different directions to go get ready for the ball, leaving me alone in the dining room. I made my way back upstairs and entered the room I shared with Mel. She was rummaging through her clothes trying to decide what to wear. I collapsed onto my bed and dozed off.
I haven't had the best sleep lately. Every night since my close encounter with Tzekel-Kan I dreamt the same thing over and over again: Eric's betrayal. I would always wake up in the middle of the night crying and occasionally screaming. The others in the inn had learned to ignore my shrieks since it happened so often. So now I took a nap whenever I could, hoping that for once, I wouldn't have the nightmare.
When I had finished my nap, I returned to work until the dinner rush was over. Then I helped the others get ready, hemming up dresses, doing their hair, straightening out wrinkles. It kept me busy to the point I didn't think about the recurring nightmare. Finally when everyone was ready, I peeked outside the window to see a carriage waiting outside. "Mrs. Hawkins," I said finding everyone doing last minute preparations, "the carriage is here."
"Aralyne," she said gazing at me in surprise, particularly at my plain dress, "You're not ready, child."
"I'm not going," I said giving her a small smile.
"Not going?" Melody asked in astonishment as Ariel pulled her black hair into a ponytail.
"No," I said shaking my head, "I'm not really in the mood for a ball. Goodnight." I strolled upstairs to my room dreading another restless sleep. I stood by the window and watched everyone enter the carriage and ride off into the night towards the ball. Once they were gone, I sighed and turned away from the window.
"Why, Aralyne, what's the matter?" a voice inquired from the window. Panicking, I swiveled around expecting to see a villain, but instead saw a cricket wearing a coat and carrying an umbrella standing on the sill. My defenses dropped automatically. "The name's Cricket," he said lifting his top hat at me in a type of salute, "Jiminy Cricket." I returned to the window to speak with him. "Why aren't you going to the ball?"
"I'm not really in the mood," I told him, "and I'm tired. I haven't gotten much sleep lately."
"I see," he said with a nod, "Does this have anything to do with Eric?"
I blinked at him in surprise. "How did you –?"
Jiminy continued on, "Right now, it's not lack of sleep that's making you not go, it's the memory of Eric isn't it? A ball is something romantic, is it not?" When I didn't answer right away, he added, "Ella is going to the ball. She doesn't have anyone to escort her, does she? And Mrs. Hawkins is going, and so is Jim. They lost someone important to them, too, you know. But they know that Sinbad wouldn't want them to just sit around and mope the rest of their lives because he died. They're out there right now, enjoying themselves."
"I get it," I said before he could carry on, "What you're saying is that I should get over my self-pity, go to the ball and enjoy myself, because life goes on and I shouldn't waste it by being depressed." He grinned up at me. "Fine, I'll go." I went up to my wardrobe and peered inside. To my dismay, the only clean outfit I had left was Ella's pink dress covered in bows. Ugh! I seriously needed to do laundry tomorrow! I pulled it out and changed into it, wishing I had something else to wear. After fashioning a bow in my hair and putting on some lovely green beads around my neck, I turned to Jiminy and asked, "What about you? Aren't you going to the ball, too?"
"Of course," he said beaming, "Mind if I hitch a ride with you?" Grinning, I lifted him up and placed him on my shoulder. We left my room, and eventually the Benbow Inn, and walked (yes, walked) towards the ball.
We hadn't gotten far when I passed by a dark alley and heard awful maniacal laughter. I froze and faced the alley ready to run or fight if necessary. Then out of the darkness stepped Lady Tramaine, her daughters Anastasia and Drizella, and Cruella De Vil.
"You were a lot easier to find than I thought," said Lady Tramaine with an evil sneer. Her daughters guffawed.
"Oh, my dear," said Cruella taking a puff of her smoke, and blowing it directly in my face, making me cough, "Don't you know how dangerous it is to walk out at night alone?"
"Careful now," warned Jiminy in my ear as I tensed up eyeing all four of the women.
Anastasia and Drizella each grabbed me by the arms and started dragging me into the alley. "Let me go!" I screamed, trying to break free, but Cruella and Lady Tramaine held me down too. Jiminy jumped down to my arm and smacked Cruella's fingers with his umbrella, causing her to pull away. At the same time, I kicked out and struck Lady Tramaine in the knee. She collapsed, also releasing me. Now with the sisters being the only ones holding me down, I had managed to break free from their grips and bolted away from them, Jiminy clinging to my dress so as not to fall. Drizella and Anastasia ran after me, and I felt someone grab the beads, planning to choke me, but it snapped, and I kept on going.
"Don't let her get away!" I heard Cruella shout out. The girls grabbed my dress, and it gave way beneath their fingers. I was now running around in rags.
"Help!" Jiminy and I shouted, hoping someone would hear us. Then ahead of us we saw Lady, Tramp, Pongo, and Perdita sprinting towards us growling. They all leapt over me heading for my pursuers. Skidding to a halt, I turned to see the canines tackle the villains and all of the women fell to the ground. The villains didn't even put up a fight, which made me guess they were afraid of the dogs.
"Are you okay?" Pongo asked with Cruella's dress between his teeth.
"Yes, thank you," I panted out a hand over my racing heart.
"Let us go, you mangy mutts!" Lady Tramaine ordered as Perdita held her down. The female Dalmatian growled at her, and the villain became quiet.
"Come on," said Tramp, his teeth latched onto Drizella's dress, "To the jail with these four."
"'Bye!" said Lady holding Anastasia as the dogs dragged the villains towards the jail.
"Well, that was an adventure," said Jiminy.
"Yeah," I said quietly looking down at my ruined dress, "But now I can't go to the ball. Not like this." I was beside a park and went to go sit at the bench beneath a tree near a fountain. "Now what am I going to do?"
A bunch of light formed beside me and turned into an elderly woman wearing a cloak. "Hello, my dear," she said with a warm smile. I jumped up in surprise and gaped at her. "You can't go to the ball looking like that."
"Whoa," said Jiminy quietly also staring at her.
"The ball?" I said looking down at my rags, "Oh, but I'm not –"
"Of course you are," she said cutting me off, "But we'll have to hurry, because even miracles take a little time."
"Miracles?" I repeated.
The woman nodded her head, and replied, "I'm the Fairy Godmother. Watch." She produced her magic wand out of thin air. She studied me and said, "Now let me see. I'd say the first thing you need is a carriage." The Fairy Godmother waved her wand and an ivory carriage appeared out of thin air with several white horses, a footman, and a coachman.
"It's beautiful," said Jiminy and I nodded in agreement. It was very elegant.
"Well, well, hop in my dear, we can't waste time," said the Fairy Godmother. I tried to protest and explain about my outfit, but she continued on, "Now, now, don't try to thank me."
"Oh, but I wasn't," I said, then Jiminy elbowed me in the collar, "I mean, I do, but, but don't you think my dress –?"
"Yes, it's lovely dear. Lovel," she finally got a good look at what I was wearing and gasped, "Good heavens, child, you can't go in that." She moved up to me and started measuring me with her wand. "Now, let's see, dear. Your size and shade of your eyes. Something simple, but daring, too." She gasped in delight. "Just leave it to me! What a gown this will be!" She waved her wand again and my rags transformed into a beautiful silver ball gown that was tight at the top and had a full skirt that fell to the ground.
My eyes widened in delight. "It's a beautiful dress," I said, "Did you ever see such a beautiful dress!" Lifting up the skirt I peeked down to see I was wearing glass slippers. I went to the fountain and gazed down at my reflection. My long hair was pulled up into a fancy bun with a few curls falling in my face but most of it was held back by a silver headband.
Jiminy Cricket whistled. "You sure look lovely, Aralyne," he said. I beamed at him.
"There's one thing," said the Fairy Godmother, "You have until midnight. At the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken, and everything will be as it was before."
"I understand. Thank you!" I replied.
The Fairy Godmother's eyes suddenly widened. "Goodness me! It's getting late!" She urged me to the carriage where the doorman was holding the door open for me. "Hurry up, dear, the ball can't wait!" I jumped into the carriage and the doorman shut the door behind me. "Have a good time! Dance! Be gay! Now off you go, you're on your way!" The driver set the carriage in motion, and Jiminy and I peered out the window to wave at the Fairy Godmother. She waved at us before disappearing in a flash of light.