Author: Lisa
Category: Max and Liz!!
Rating: PG to PG-13
Summary: Basically, Ever After: A Cinderella Story. If you have never seen the movie, it's a Cinderella story. Imagine that! It's in the 1500's and Liz is the poor orphan forced to be the stepdaughter of Rodmilla de Ghent. The stepsisters are Tess (the bad one) and Maria (the good one). Max is the prince, *be still my beating heart*. Anyway, Max meets Liz, who is pretending to be a countess to save a man's life. They fall in love but soon Max finds out that Liz is a servant and problems arise. Don't worry, it's a Cinderella story so of course there's going to be a happy ending! Do I write anything that is less than a Dreamer ending? NO!!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. UPN owns Roswell (yay!). Ever After: A Cinderella Story belongs to some movie company, 20th Century, I believe.
Feedback: Yes, definitely! It inspires me to write more and sooner!
Email: LWo1783@aol.com
Author's Notes: Can I say that I am a hopeless romantic and Dreamer? I really hope that you guys like this.
Prologue
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved her father very much.
"I can't believe it, Louise! I got a mother and two sisters all on the very same day!" 8-year-old Elizabeth 'Liz' Parker squealed excitedly. She was trying very hard to stand still as Louise, a servant, was trying to dress her. It was her best dress and Liz wanted very much to impress her new mother. Her father had been gone for two weeks already, marrying the Baroness.
Suddenly, self-doubt began to attack Liz. "I hope she likes me," she said in a small voice.
"Nonsense!" Louise admonished. "Why wouldn't she like you. You can be an angel when you want to be, my dear. But don't you go whooping around forgetting your manners when she gets her. She's a real lady and she is going to teach you to be one too!"
A lady. Liz sighed. To her, ladies were beautiful women who got to go to Court and see the king. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised. Her hair, which was usually a mess from her running around, was neatly combed and braided. It was long and thick and hung to her waist. She liked keeping it long for her father because he often said it reminded him of Liz's mother's hair.
"Done!" Louise exclaimed and looked at Liz with pride. Ever since Nancy Parker had died, Jeff Parker had had to raise his daughter alone. He did as best he could, stumbling at times, but he loved her deeply and the two of them had a relationship that was extremely close. However, Jeff was worried that he wasn't enough as a single parent and so he went looking for a wife.
"Now don't you go anywhere and get dir…" Louise started to warn. But before she could finish her sentence, there was a noise by the window. Liz immediately ran to it and saw that her friend Alex Whitman was throwing small stones at her bedroom window to capture her attention. As usual, his face was streaked with dirt and his hair was clumped.
"I told you, Alex, not today!" Liz yelled down at him. She had told him numerous times that today was the day that her new family was coming and she simply did not have enough time to play with him that day.
Alex was the son of one of the workers of the neighboring estate, a good two miles away, but Alex came almost everyday when he had free time to play with Liz. They had been friends for years all ready and enjoyed each other's company immensely.
Alex gaped back up at her. In a shocked and disgusted voice, he called, "You look like a girl!"
"That's because I am a girl, half-wit!" an exasperated Liz shouted.
"Yeah, but today you look it!" Alex grinned. He knew how to get his old-best friend back, not this…impostor! He then started strutting around and stuck his tongue out at Liz.
Liz was definitely not amused by this show of cocky behavior by Alex. She would just have to cut him down to size. "Boy or girl, I can still whip you!"
"Hah!" and with that, the gauntlet was thrown. With a whoop, Liz bolted out of her room and ran after Alex, who all ready had a head start. She ignored the cries of Louise to stop and forgot all about how her new family was arriving shortly. All that mattered was that she would have to show Alex who was boss.
As the two friends were off having a merry fight, a rider on a horse came riding up the path with a carriage behind it. Immediately all the servants gathered in a line, waiting for their master. Jeff Parker slowly came to a halt as Maurice, the head caretaker, took the reins and Jeff got off the horse. "It's good to be home, Maurice."
The carriage came to a creaking halt and another servant came to bring down the steps. The door opened. All the servants nervously bent their heads, trying to catch a glimpse of their new mistress, the Baroness. As the hand extended out, all of them immediately straightened their posture and tried to look as best they could.
A person could not exactly describe Rodmilla as beautiful or pretty, but more handsome. Her dark features and high cheekbones, added with her air of dignity, made her a formidable person. She was taller than most women and used this all to her advantage. She looked around the estate, as if estimating and judging it all. Spying Jeff, she automatically sidled up to him and cooed, "Oh, Jeff, this is all so…quaint."
Two little girls, meanwhile, came out of the carriage. The servants gasped to see the dresses that the girls wore. In the presence of the Baroness and her two daughters, everyone seemed a little more self-conscious of his appearances. Jeff Parker was a good master to them though. He paid very fair wages and treated them well. All their food and clothes were also provided by him.
Jeff turned to Maurice and grinned. "As you see, I've brought back a full family but I seem to be missing someone. Where is Liz?" he scanned the area and then he heard a shriek of delight. "Papa!"
Jeff then saw a blur rushing toward him and he bent down and opened his arms just in time to catch Liz as she practically catapulted into his arms. "Liz!" Jeff shouted with happiness.
He hugged her furiously before leaning back a bit. He chuckled as he said, "Look at you, exactly as I left – covered in mud." Indeed, Liz's previously combed hair was now in tangles and covered with chunks of mud and dirt with pieces of hay sticking out. Her face and dress were splattered with mud. "And if you're like this, then your friend Alex must be around here somewhere."
Liz grinned proudly as she replied, "No, sir! I slaughtered him!"
Jeff couldn't help but grin back and then he caught sight of Alex trudging with his head down low. He heaved a great sigh and Jeff laughed. Alex was a complete mud pie, his head to toe encased in mud. "Hello, sir," Alex mumbled.
"Hi, Alex," Jeff greeted him. Through the time that Alex had spent with Liz, Jeff saw him almost as a son. Then turning back to Liz, he lowered her to the ground. He teased, "Well, I had hoped to show you new mother a lady but I guess you'll have to do. Liz, say hello to your new mother."
Liz smiled at Rodmilla and greeted her warmly and with a small curtsy, "Madame." She so desperately wanted her to like her.
Rodmilla looked down coldly at the small girl. She then waved her own two daughters over. "Tess, Maria. Say hello to your new…stepsister." The two young girls immediately dropped into exquisite curtsies in sync with each other. "Mademoiselle." Liz knew that she had a long way to go before she could become a lady like they were.
~*~Later that same night~*~
Liz was about to go to bed and was waiting for Jeff to come tuck her in like he did every night. She also secretly hoped that he got a present as he sometimes did when he went on trips. She was not disappointed.
"Papa!" Liz greeted her father happily. Jeff chuckled and felt his heart smile at the fact that Liz was always this happy to see him.
"How's my little girl?" he asked as he sat down on the bed next to her.
"Very good," she immediately replied.
"Good. I have something for you," Jeff said. He took out a small leather pouch out of his jacket and handed it to Liz who opened it eagerly.
A soft leather bound book emerged. The title Utopia shone brightly in gold letters. "Utopia," Liz slowly read. She looked to her father for the meaning of this strange word.
"It means paradise," Jeff explained. He touched the cover, "It might be a bit thick for an eight-year-old, but I thought we could add it to our library." Already at that young age, Liz was an avid reader and she and Jeff would spend hours pouring over books.
"Could you read some of it to me?" Liz requested.
"It's getting late," Jeff said, regretfully.
"And you're a husband now," Liz sighed. It would take some getting used to – not having her father to herself.
Jeff knew what she was thinking. "Yes, but a father first. You and I have been two peas in a pod for a long time now, darling. It's time we let some people into our lives. So, do you like your stepsisters?"
Liz thought about it. "Yes, very much. Did you see the way they ate their dinners? It was like a dance!" Liz couldn't get over how elegantly they were – just eating! Their knives and forks never seemed to miss a step. Meanwhile, Liz just ate with her fingers and used her knife to stab at the food. Rodmilla had given her the eye, as if she were appalled to death about Liz's table manners.
"Very good," Jeff began. He hated what he was about to say. "Because I have to leave for Avignon in a fortnight."
"But you just got back!" Liz exclaimed, sitting straight up in bed.
"I know, I know," Jeff soothed her. "But I have to go for business. I'll be back in three weeks."
"One," Liz said stubbornly and folded her arms over her chest.
"Two," Jeff argued back good-naturedly.
"One!"
As if on cue, they put out a fist and counted. "1…2…3!" Liz's small fingers formed a pair of scissors while Jeff's larger hand was in the shape of paper. "Scissors cut paper!" squealed Liz triumphantly.
Jeff started laughing with her and pretended to be angry about losing. "Fine! You win!" He then gave a kiss on her head and proceeded back to his room. "Good night, my love."
"Good night, Papa."
~*~Two days later~*~
Liz stood glumly staring at the dirt outside as her new stepsisters talked to each other. Tess and Maria had not really talked to her at all since they arrived. Maria had started to when they were outside, but Rodmilla had come along and dragged her away. Liz was very unhappy that Jeff was leaving again but she knew that once he came back, they could finish reading Utopia together.
Rodmilla came out of the house and surveyed the land once again. 'Yes, this could be very promising,' she thought to herself. Then she heard the loud footsteps of her husband.
Jeff came clumping out of the door in his traveling clothes. Strange, his right arm was feeling slightly numb. He started rubbing it, hoping to bring some blood flow back into it. Then he saw the line of women waiting for him. He knew that they were not happy that he was leaving so soon but he tried to bring them into good humor.
He laughed loudly and said heartily, "I have never seen such a group of unhappy faces! Come now, I will only be gone for a week! I shall be back soon."
Rodmilla put on a pouty face and sidled up to him. "Yes, if you must. The sooner you go, the sooner you will return." Jeff gave her a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug. Then he patted Tess and Maria on their heads and said, "I expect all three of you girls to be the best of friends when I return, hmmm?"
He then picked Liz into a big hug and said to her, "And I want you to show your new mother around. She is not used to a farm life, okay?" When Rodmilla heard this, she made a small face of disgust at having to actually walk around in the messy dirt and mud.
Liz nodded her head to her father, promising him this. She knew how much this farm estate meant to him. Jeff put Liz back down and Maurice led the horse to him. When Jeff was up on the horse, he tried to grab the reins. But then, his hands suddenly seemed to have no strength whatsoever, and the reins slipped out of his hands. Luckily, Maurice was there and handed it back to him. Both had a look of confusion on their faces. Jeff was a robust man and this had never happened before.
"Thank you, Maurice," Jeff said. "Well, I will see you all in a week!" He then turned the horse and started to trot out of the path toward the exit.
As soon as the horse started moving, Rodmilla turned to the girls and clapped her hands to gain their attention. "Come, girls, back to your lessons." These lessons included simple, simple school work which Liz found extremely boring and etiquette lessons which drove Liz crazy.
"Wait!" Liz exclaimed. "Papa's going to wave to us at the gate. It's tradition!" At this, Rodmilla simply wrinkled her nose at Liz and proceeded back inside. Liz sighed and turned her attention back to her father, waiting for the wave.
As Jeff neared the gate, something was wrong. There was a large pain in his chest and sweat started appearing on his forehead. He grasped his chest and he doubled over on the horse. The pain became too great and he couldn't maintain his balance anymore. He slowly fell off the horse onto the ground – face down.
When Liz saw her father slump and fall to the ground, the world slowed almost to a halt. "Papa!!!!" Liz's voice shrieked out, echoing loudly. She then ran to where her father lay as fast as she could, but to her, it seemed like her feet could barely move.
Rodmilla ran out when she heard Liz's scream, and she gasped when she saw Jeff lying on the ground. "Jeff," she breathed and started running toward him also.
Liz reached Jeff first and she started shaking him wildly. Tears were streaming down her face and her heart was beating so hard, she thought it might explode. "Papa, Papa," she called, half-whimpering. "Wake up, wake up." She tried to turn him over but she wasn't strong enough. She had to see his face, if just for one more time.
Rodmilla reached them and she turned Jeff over in one swift motion. "Jeff, dear, speak to us!"
Jeff's eyes were unfocused and he seemed daze. He looked at Rodmilla for a moment, but then turned his attention to Liz who was crying quietly. Rodmilla followed his gaze to Liz and a stunned look came over her face. Jeff gathered all the strength he had left and lifted his hand to Liz's face. He spoke one last time, "I love you – so much." And with that, his hand dropped and his eyes closed.
Rodmilla remained silent as the shock swept over her. "NO! You cannot leave me here, you cannot leave me alone!" she cried and shook Jeff. Sobs overtook her body and she had to lean on Maurice, who had come over, for support.
Meanwhile, Liz sobbed wildly as screams reverberated through her body and the air. "Papa!" was the cry that was heard. As Louise tried to take her in her arms, Liz shook her away and clutched onto her father. "Leave me! Papa!" Her anguished wail was forever burned into the memory of those who heard it.
What do you think? Good, bad? I'm trying to be faithful to the movie, although I did leave out Paulette. I didn't think her character was quite necessary. Please leave feedback!!