Emma was now in deep trouble. Her stepsisters had been at the Grand Unveiling of the statue and had slowly deduced that it was their own Bad Cinderella that was behind the defacing and when they told their mother, she had flushed an ugly shade of puce and demanded that Emma go to the palace and apologise. Thus, Emma was on her way there now, with her 'offensive' hair tied up under a scarf.
The villagers all stared at the defiant girl who returned their furtive glances with scowls and rude gestures. She heard all the things that these people were saying about her, and it took every ounce of self-restraint that she had to not retaliate.
"Yes, that's the one. The rude one." Said one of the girls that Emma recognised as Adela.
"The crude one, she must be behind that disgusting act of abhorrent behaviour at the statue today" came another superior-sounding voice that was coming from Lily, the daughter of Maleficent who owned the local pub.
"Yes that's the girl, Bad Cinderella is what we call her here. She's a bad apple" said the schoolmaster.
"Guess who's confessing? It's Bad Cinderella! See we see that it's she who is solely to blame. She should be arrested, she's Mad Cinderella! A hot mess, her head should be hanging in Shame!" chanted the local children who loved to antagonise the blonde.
Leaving the taunts of the villagers behind her, Emma climbed the white marble steps to the door of the palace. With her blonde hair obscured, she easily passed as one of the castle's servants and was able to slip in the servant door easily without arousing any suspicion. The cook gave her a grim smile and jerked to a plate that was full of leftovers and Emma fell upon them hungrily, tearing great scraps off with her teeth and fingers until she felt full. Emma and the cook had an uneasy truce as it was Emma that had distracted the Queen while Cook had been feeding her favourite policeman and bought her enough time to bundle him out the door and put her apron to rights.
"Here to apologise to her Majesty then Emma?" asked the cook.
"Yes, what kind of mood is she in?" Emma asked, half-hoping that the Queen was feeling somewhat brighter than what Sebastien had told her earlier.
"She's in one of her moods. I daresay you can't make her any worse. Good Lord girl, what on earth were you thinking?! You must've known that defacing the statue of her son would upset her!" cook admonished.
"It was just a prank, just a joke. Can't anyone in this village take a joke?" Emma asked, already knowing the answer.
"there's a joke and then there's what you've done. If you're lucky, she'll only threaten you with exile again. You used to be her favourite Emma, you really must try harder to fit in more." Cook said reproachfully.
"I'll fit in when Neal apologises" Emma declared, tightening the scarf around her head, and making her way up the stairs before the cook could scold her further.
Meanwhile, Sebastien sat with his mother in the drawing room as she repeatedly made comparisons between him and his brothers. His brothers were all big, strong, burly men and Sebastien was smaller, lighter, and as Emma often teased him, "The Runt of his Litter" but Sebastien was bored of hearing his faults dragged out again and again. The Queen felt that it was her duty to correct the boy but he although he was sat directly in front of her, she could tell that he was miles away. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door of their private drawing room.
"Enter" drawled the Queen
And in stumbled the stunted and clumsy figure of Emma. Her blue dress was several years old and though it fitted her still, it was covered in clumsily darned patches and great huge rips. Her apron had once been white but was now a washed-out grey with several black stains from cleaning out the fireplaces. Her feet, clad in her favourite combat boots made her look tomboyish and slovenly. The Queen's mouth puckered, even without seeing her hair, she knew exactly who was standing in front of her. Standing there, in front of the Queen and Prince Sebastien, Emma had never felt more like her nickname-sake: she truly was Bad Cinderella.
"ah if it isn't our little heathen" commented the Queen
"Beg your pardon your Majesty, I'm here to apologise for my behaviour today" Emma whispered.
"I should certainly hope you are here to apologise young miss. To deface a royal statue is the height of bad manners. I should have you publicly flogged." The Queen responded
"No Mother, let the girl speak before you condemn her" interjected Sebastien and Emma smiled at him gratefully.
"Very well. Say what you came to say girl, and then we will discuss your fate" the Queen said, sitting back in her chair and beckoning Emma further into the centre of the room.
"Your Majesty, my actions today were rude and thoughtless. I didn't mean to cause offence by them at all, I was only having a bit of a joke. My behaviour today in no way reflects the attention of my Stepmother and her daughters, the Madam Georges. Please be merciful and I promise I will never behave this way again" Emma said, through slightly gritted teeth; her stepmother had written out what she wanted Emma to say and Emma was able to recite it off by heart.
"Wait outside girl while my son and I confer on your punishment" replied the Queen and Emma scurried out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.
After what felt like endless long hours, she heard herself being summoned back into the room and after taking a deep breath, she entered.
"Well, aren't you a lucky girl Miss Emma Swan" the Queen started, and Emma dared to breathe out again
"We have decided to be merciful, you will be on house arrest for 48 hours and then you will clean up the statue once your house arrest has been completed. Do I make myself clear?" The Queen asked and Emma nodded eagerly.
"Thank you, your majesty. I promise I will never do it again" Emma said resolutely. Prince Sebastien offered to walk her home to ensure that she went straight there to begin her house arrest.
"Two times in just one day? Please why this honour?" Emma asked jokingly
"Your little prank has rocked my world, now I'm truly a goner!" he groaned as the two walked side by side.
"Tell me what the dish is and the gossip that will soon be spread around town" Emma laughed before seeing his face and expressions.
"Mother's head has ruptured! She's going to announce a royal wedding!" Sebastien exclaimed.
"Tell me which underage Greek-God the groom will be? Emma giggled but was shocked when Sebastien shoved her a little impatiently.
"Shut up, you knob It's me!" he shouted, earning puzzling looks from the few villagers who were within earshot of his outburst.
"There's going to be a ball and I have to pick a bride there before midnight on Saturday night".
"Saturday night? That's only four days away! And this is crazy, you can't just pick a random stranger and marry her! What on earth are you thinking?!" Emma said scornfully.
"What am I thinking? This is all your fault! If you hadn't defaced that wretched statue then we wouldn't be in this whole mess" Sebastien cursed
"I suppose you'll pick one of the great beauties of the village" Emma predicted.
"I don't know who I'll pick. They are all the same as each other" he replied as the manor house gates grew closer and closer.
"So long, Farewell Sebastien. It's really been swell. Have a nice life, and good luck with your wife" Emma rhymed sarcastically.
"Emma" Sebastien paused suddenly, just outside the gates of the manor house.
"What is it Sebastien? You know I was only joking" Emma smiled.
"I need you at the ball, can you promise me that you'll be there?" he asked nervously, wringing his hands.
"Sebastien, it's really not my style at all, I can't see me there" Emma reasoned sadly.
"I could really use you as a friend there" he whispered.
"A 'Friend.' Right. Well, goodbye then Sebastien" Emma said with a lump in her throat.
"goodbye Emma" he said sadly as he watched her run up the path to her home and only turned around to go home when he heard the door slam and that made him smile in spite of his gloomy mood, knowing that Emma was forbidden to slam the doors but did it every day without fail just to annoy her stepmother.
Beginning the walk back to the palace, he opted to take the long way around just so he could be by himself with his thoughts. He also stopped at their secret meeting place in the woods and sat alone for a while, singing softly to himself:
"Please Bad Cinderella, promise me you'll be there when I need you.
No one in this village cares what I am feeling
somehow you can see
the Me I am concealing
yet, I'm unable to reveal how I feel about
you.
Everything I say, comes out the wrong way."