Chapter 2:

A man was standing behind her, a blush on his otherwise handsome face.
His hair was light brown and decorated with a simple circlet. The outfit he had
one was a light blue, with a gold sash across the chest and gold decorations on
the shoulders and sleeves.
"I'm sorry.. I wasn't aware there was someone else behind this curtain."
Karen was about to back out, but the man grabbed her wrist.
"Oh, don't go... I'm sorry if I scared you..." Karen stared at the man and
sheepishly, he said, "That's a very beautiful dress."
"Why thank you..." Karen smiled and looked down at the big skirt of her
dress.
"It's a good colour, it suits you." The man continued, blushing and
bringing a hand to nervously rub at the back of his head.
Karen smiled up at him. "I like that color on you, as well. It makes you
look good."
The man laughed softly. "You're the first one to tell me that tonight.. well, I
haven't made myself seen yet.. would you like to dance?" Her eyes lit up and he
smiled down at her.
"I would love to." She started to blush herself as the man placed a hand
on her shoulder and steered her out of the curtain.
"Then let's dance.."
As they stepped out onto the dance floor, Karen could've sworn she heard
a collective gasp from the crowd. She felt a sudden surge of unreasonable fear--
was it possible that her mother and sisters had found out she was here, and had
told everyone that she was nothing but a cinder wench?
But then the man smiled at her, and the gentleness in his hazel eyes
melted all her fear away. She sighed as he put an arm around her waist, leaning
against him and clasping his other hand in the customary dance position. She
hadn't been touched so gently and kindly in a very long time.
The arm around her waist tightened, pulling her closer, and she leaned
her head against his chest as the slow, dreamy music swirled around them.
Other couples were out on the floor as well, but none of them mattered to Karen,
and so she didn't notice them. She also didn't notice the fact that she and her
partner were the focus of everyone else's attention.
"What's your name?" he whispered into her ear as they swayed to the
music.
/Cinder-karen,/ she thought ironically, remembering the derisive nickname
her stepmother had made up for her. "Karen," she told him.
"Ah... that's a very beautiful name," he said, and she smiled, because he
certainly sounded like he was blushing again. "I'm Seiichirou."
"Interesting..." The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Karen couldn't
remember where she'd heard it before. "Why are you here?"
He laughed a little. "My father made me come," he confessed, a little
sheepishly. "I didn't really want to. These balls... I really don't like them much."
"Why not?" Karen murmured. "They're so glamorous and exciting...
everyone and everything looks so beautiful."
"It gets old after a while, trust me. And my father's always trying to marry
me off to one of those silly money-grubbing girls who show up at these things,
but I really don't want any of them."
Karen froze. His father was trying to marry him off... the circlet on his
head... the gasp she'd heard from the crowd earlier when he had appeared...
"You're not... I mean, are you... the Prince?" she asked in a hushed tone.
Her dancing partner stiffened for a moment. "Well.. I um..." He cleared his
throat. "Well I... well yes I am.."
"Oh..." She wondered if he would stop the dance and leave her in a
corner by herself.
"I was hoping you wouldn't realize that.... it's so much more easier to talk
to a person when they don't know that you're royalty." He squeezed her hand
momentarily. "Don't run off now, please?"
"...I won't." She glanced up at him and smiled gently, which he returned.
This was turning out much better then her dreams.
In the corner of the ballroom, Kanoe was stomping around as usual, still
looking for the elusive Prince.
"Give it up, Mother." Satsuki said boredly as they stopped to rest. "He's
probably hiding."
"No, I know he's here somewhere."'
"Isn't that him?" Arashi pointed to the center of the ballroom, where there
were several couples dancing, one of which was a tall brown-haired man and a
lovely red-haired woman.
Kanoe pushed Arashi aside to get a better look. "That's him alright... but
that woman with him..."
Satsuki peered over her mother's shoulder. "She looks rather familiar."
Arashi regained her footing and examined the dancing couple for a few
seconds. "She looks like Cinder-karen..."
Kanoe's eyes narrowed and she looked at the couple more closely. "It IS
that little wench!"
"I wonder where she got that dress.. it looks beautiful on her." Arashi
commented.
"Probably stole it, you know how that girl is." Kanoe clenched her teeth
and walked to the other side of the ball, closer to the Prince and his partner.
"That girl is going to get it."
Karen was in absolute heaven. They had been dancing most of the night
and her feet were not hurting one bit, which guaranteed a few more dances with
Seiichirou. Finally it was 30 minutes to midnight and the couple decided to rest.
"This has been a wonderful night." Seiichirou said, smiling at the
red-head.
"Yes.." she sighed happily.
"Tell me about yourself... you must come from a good home if you wear a
beautiful dress like that."
Karen's smile faded. "Oh.. well I live with my stepmother and
stepsisters...."
"Who are very displeased with you," Kanoe's sharp voice said from
behind her.
Karen froze, her face going sheet white. She felt Seiichirou's hand close
around hers, a very small comfort in the face of the utter humiliation and
ruination she was about to face.
"Is there something you need, ma'am?" she heard him ask.
"Yes. I'd like my servant girl back," Kanoe said cruelly, grabbing Karen's
arm roughly.
The comment made Karen flinch, and she found herself fighting back
tears again. It wasn't possible that they were going to ruin this perfect night for
her...
"I wish you'd treat her with a little more respect than that, madam,"
Seiichirou responded, and she could hear traces of his regal upbringing in his
tone.
"She doesn't deserve that. She's been very disobedient. Sneaking out of
the house... stealing someone's dress and shoes... lying to you, Your Majesty..."
Kanoe finished her speech in a simpering tone, bowing to the Prince.
"Lying to me--"
"The truth is, she's nothing but a cinder wench," Kanoe said, clearly
enjoying Karen's burning face and humiliated expression. "To think she thought
she could ever have a chance with a prince... I only ask you to spare her life so
that she may return home and continue to serve us. There's so much to do
around the house, and we don't have any other servants."
Karen didn't wait to hear Seiichirou's reply. She couldn't even bring
herself to look up at him, not wanting to see his gentle and affectionate gaze
changed to one of disgust and disdain. Jerking out of her stepmother's grasp,
she got up and ran from the ballroom.
Seiichirou stared after her, then turned angrily on the very self-satisfied
Kanoe. "Who do you think you are, treating her like that when she's three times
the woman you could ever dream of being?"
Kanoe's eyes widened at the angry words. "But Your Majesty--"
"I don't want to hear it. Get out of my sight." He wasn't one to anger
easily, but the thought that he would probably never see Karen again was
making him very upset. She was the only woman who had ever interested him in
the stream of countless boring balls and parties he had been forced to attend,
and now he had lost her forever.
He sighed, suddenly catching sight of his father hurrying toward him.
"Seiichirou, we're going to need a decision--"
"Not tonight, Father."
The King glared at his son. "Everyone is expecting you to decide tonight!
If you don't have a woman picked out in twenty minutes, I'm going to choose for
you!"
Seiichirou stared at his father. "Father, I.."
"Twenty minutes."
"Alright, Father. I'll have a bride in twenty minutes, I swear." Seiichirou
turned and left the ballroom at a refined run, in the direction he had last seen
Karen. It took him a painfully long time, but finally he found her. The woman was
kneeling near a marble column in the grand hall, almost invisible among the
bright scarlet curtains.
"Karen?" Seiichirou asked softly, approaching the trembling girl.
She snapped her head up and turned to look at him fearfully. His heart
twinged at the sight of her tear-covered face. "Yes, your Majesty?"
"My name is Seiichirou," he said and offered her a hand. "Would you like
me to escort you back to the ballroom?"
Karen glanced at his hand. "You don't want to be seen with a cinder
wench." She turned her head away and he could see more tears threatening to
spill over her cheeks.
He kneeled next to her. "I don't know what that woman was talking about,
nor do I care... the only thing I know is that I have until midnight... two minutes,
to choose a bride and the only woman who I think is interesting enough to
marry... is you."
Karen looked at him. "You... " her eyes widened suddenly. "Did you say
two minutes to midnight?!" Horror dawned in her eyes and she stood up and
started to run down the hallway. "I've got to leave!" Inwardly, she begged God
not to let her Prince see her in her horrible dirty rags.
"Wait, Karen, please!" Seiichirou followed her as she fled out the door
and down the large palace steps.
"I can't!" She cried out suddenly as she tripped on her large skirt, leaving
one of her glass slippers behind. She started to go back for the shoe, but above
her, the large palace clock began to chime the hour. Biting her to lip to keep
from crying, she abandoned her slipper and retreated into the coach. It quickly
began to leave the palace ground, even as the clock continued to chime.
Seiichirou jumped to the bottom of the stairs and stared in dismay as the
coach disappeared into the shadows. He sighed painfully and started back up
the stairs, noticing the slipper on the steps. He bent down and picked up the
glass object, examining it with his fingers. "I can find her with this..."
"Seiichirou!" His father called from the top of the stairs. "Have you found a
bride yet?"
Seiichirou quickly raced through his mind for something to tell his father.
"I have, Father... but she's run off."
"Then I will be choosing a bride for you, if she's not here."
"No, Father, wait! I have a bride.. and even though she's not here, I know
where to find her... please, Father.. I'll bring her in a week, I promise I will. Just..
please, Father."
The King looked at his only son, wondering if he should give the boy a
week. There was such a strange look in his son's eyes, one of hopefulness and
determination. "Alright," he said finally. "You must have her in one week... or in
one week, you will be marrying the woman I choose for you."
"I understand, Father. Thank you."
A hush fell over the crowd as Seiichirou stepped up on the stage at the
front of the ballroom. He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Ladies and gentleman, I am sorry to announce that I will not be selecting
a bride tonight. Certain circumstances have prevented me from making my
selection, but I promise you that by the end of the week, this kingdom will have a
new princess and future Queen." With that, he bowed and left the stage, retiring
to his room for the evening.
The crowd applauded, but down on the dance floor, Kanoe was seething.
"The only reason he isn't choosing tonight is because that wench hogged him for
the whole evening! He didn't even have a chance to dance with the most
beautiful ladies here-- the two of you, of course-- and now he might choose
someone else to marry, all because of her!"
"That little bitch… I should have done more than just tear her dress,"
Satsuki snarled.
"Oh, she'll get what she deserves," Kanoe snapped. "Come on, let's go
home. No sense in staying here anymore, the Prince is gone."
Back at the house, Karen had curled up on her straw pallet and was
staring dejectedly at the wall. It seemed that Seiichirou had really wanted to
marry her, but now that she had run off, he was probably going to choose
another woman-or have one chosen for him by his father. And not only had she
lost him, but she knew that Kanoe was going to punish her for sneaking out.
As if on cue, the door slammed shut and Karen heard footsteps stomping
toward her room. She braced herself.
Kanoe stormed into the room and grabbed Karen's arm, roughly jerking
her up from the bed. "What did you think you were doing?" she shouted, her
face turning beet red with anger. "You ruined my daughters' chances with the
Prince with your stupid games!"
Karen turned her face away, refusing to let the woman's anger intimidate
her. "Did he choose a woman to marry?" she asked softly.
"What does it matter to you, cinder wench?" A sudden realization
occurred to Kanoe, and with it, an idea that would be the perfect revenge on
Karen. "You didn't fall in love with him, did you?" she asked in a cruelly amused
tone.
Karen averted her eyes and refused to respond.
Kanoe laughed derisively. "Imagine that. A common servant in love with a
prince-- how tragic. Well, sorry to ruin your little fantasy, but the Prince chose a
bride after you ran off."
Karen felt her heart twist painfully. "No…" she breathed.
"Yes, he did. Not only that, he publicly apologized to the whole kingdom
for spending the whole evening dancing with common servant trash," Kanoe lied
gleefully.
Her face paling, Karen swallowed hard. She couldn't possibly believe that
the Seiichirou she knew would ever dream of saying such a thing… but how well
did she really know him, after all? She'd only just met him that night, and he was
royalty… She didn't know what to believe, but there was an ache in her heart
that told her that she had lost her prince forever.
After a moment, she realized that Kanoe was talking again. "You will be
punished for this, of course. We've made things easy for you so far, we've had
mercy on you, but all that is going to end. I want the whole house cleaned before
you go to sleep tonight… oh, and you can take your mattress outside and sleep
with the dogs. It's all you deserve." She released Karen's arm suddenly, and the
girl fell back against the pallet. Kanoe then stomped out of the room, her anger
clearly not completely relieved.
Karen shut her eyes, but a few tears managed to sneak out and slide
down her cheeks. She didn't care about having to clean the house. She didn't
even care about having to sleep outside. She would sleep outside with the dogs
for the rest of her life, gladly, if she could just see Seiichirou one more time. If
she could just know that he hadn't said those things about her… that he still
cared for her. Even if he married another woman, she could be happy if she
only knew that one small fact.
With a heartbroken sigh, she set about doing her chores.