"Cinderella? That's a funny name," commented Nils. He began to imagine other names that could have proceeded Cinder and started with E-L...
"CINDERELIWOOD!!!"
"Wha— OW!"
Eliwood lifted his head at his wicked stepsister's bellowing, but was unfortunately positioned beneath a table at the time, scrubbing the floor.
He carefully crawled out from under the table and rubbed his head. "Yes, Limstella, I'm in here."
Limstella stormed through the kitchen door and glared daggers at her impertinent slave— er, housekeeper. "And just what do you think is so funny about mixing up my laundry with my brother's?"
"Nothing! I-I..." Eliwood stammered. "I didn't mix it up, did I?"
Limstella thrust a little piece of red fabric in Eliwood's face. "I do not wear a red silk thong!!!"
"Oh..." Eliwood said sheepishly. Then he thought for a moment. "Well, if it's not yours, then whose is it?"
It was at that moment Ephidel, Eliwood's equally wicked stepbrother, stormed in behind Limstella. He took one look at the thong, and gasped. He snatched it out of his sister's grasp and sneered at them both, daring them to say a word.
Neither did.
After Ephidel was out of sight, Limstella pointed a red-painted, manicured fingernail at Eliwood. "If you ever mess up like that again, I'll rip out your pretty little red hair, strand by strand!"
Eliwood bowed his head shamefully. "Yes, Limstella..."
Limstella huffed and departed.
Eliwood sighed deeply, then snorted at the memory of Ephidel's horrified face. He chuckled and shook his head, then returned to his scrubbing of the kitchen floor. He remembered that in a few hours, he would finish cleaning the kitchen just to have to begin cooking dinner and get it all dirty again.
It was a humiliating life to lead, but Eliwood remained cheerful. In living with this family, he had been forced to do every chore in the house. He understood that his stepfather was sickly and bedridden, but he failed to understand how Ephidel and Limstella refused to do anything around the house. It was a big house, to be sure, and a daunting task. Eliwood had observed them, usually primping themselves in some form or another, like giving each other manicures, or trying on make-up. It made Eliwood cringe a little that Ephidel did this just as much as his sister, but Eliwood tried not to think about it too much. He decided to make cleaning the house into a game, seeing how many things he could get done in an hour, then try to beat his record. He resented that his stepbrother and stepsister always yelled at him, even though he had done all his tasks correctly and on time. Nonetheless, he kept a bright outward demeanor.
"CINDERELIWOOD!"
Eliwood smacked his head on the table again, and he silently cursed himself. This time, it was Ephidel.
The stepbrother gave Eliwood a cold stare from the doorway. "Father wishes to see you. Don't be all day about it! He said now!"
"Alright, I'm coming!" Eliwood snapped.
Another thing he did not appreciate was the nickname his stepbrother and stepsister had given him. CinderEliwood, for whenever he completed the task of cleaning the chimney, he was always covered in soot. His stepfather had found the handle amusing and stuck with it also.
Eliwood followed Ephidel down the plush carpeted hallways of the grand house. They stopped before the double doors that led to the bedroom of Eliwood's stepfather, Nergal.
"While I graciously accept that tone of voice," Ephidel told Eliwood in a hushed voice, "don't you dare take that tone with father! Now get in there!"
Ephidel opened the door and shoved Eliwood inside. The room was darkened, the curtains all drawn. The only light came from a single candle on the bedside table.
"Ah, you came," Nergal croaked. "Come closer, Eliwood."
Eliwood did as he was told and stood next to his stepfather. "What is it that you need from me?"
Nergal smiled, a sinister smile in Eliwood's eyes. Eliwood could see only one of his stepfather's; the other was covered by a purple scarf. Apparently, he had sustained injuries long ago in a battle. The reason he was bedridden now, however, was something different. Eliwood believed it to be an illness, as his stepsiblings insisted.
"There is no task I need you to perform for me, at this moment. I merely wished to commend you on how much you help out around here."
Help? Eliwood thought bitterly. How is it help when I do everything? But he dared not voice his opinion. "Thank you, stepfather."
"I'm impressed with how you've kept up with your work without being slowed down too much by the untimely death of your dear mother."
Eliwood winced. Did he have to bring that up? This man had married his mother many years ago, but she had passed away more recently, murdered by thieves. Memories of his father were few.
"Now," Nergal said with another twisted smile. "You go on and finish up your work."
Eliwood tried to snap out of his funk and smiled politely. He departed the bedroom, finding it difficult to keep that cheery outward demeanor alive.
The next morning, Eliwood was sweeping the front hall when there was a knocking on the door.
"CINDERELIWOOD!" Ephidel's voice rang out from somewhere. "ANSWER THE DAMN DOOR!"
"Oh, KAY!" Eliwood screamed back. He propped his broom upon the staircase bannister and answered the door, beaming politely.
The man at the door had slightly wavy, long black hair, with an unearthly lustre that matched that of his porcelain skin. His eyes were glassy and golden, and his lips blood red. He wore a high-collared, red embroidered suit with a dark hooded cloak over it.
"Hello, my name is Denning. This is a message from Lord Hausen. He will be holding a ball at Castle Caelin five days from now, and every eligible bachelor across the land is to attend. This is a message from Lord Hausen. He will be holding a ball at Castle Caelin five days from now, and every eligible bachelor across the land is to attend. This is a message from Lord Hausen..."
Eliwood stared at the delivery puppet in awe. His eyes did not move, he merely stood perfectly still and spoke as if his very voice was a recording. Eliwood waved his hand in front of Denning's eyes. No reaction.
"Um..." Eliwood mumbled. He turned and shouted into the house, "It's for you!"
"And he's been saying that the whole time?" Limstella demanded. Eliwood nodded.
"He will be holding a ball at Castle Caelin..."
Ephidel began smashing Denning over the head with his fist repeatedly. "I think he's broken."
"This is a message fr... This is a message fr... This is a message fr..."
"Ephidel, cut it out!" Limstella scolded. She pulled Ephidel away from the puppet, and Denning continued speaking normally.
"Thank you very much!" Limstella said loudly and clearly. "We get it!"
Denning suddenly stopped in the middle of his message. "Have a nice day." He turned and walked away.
"Interesting..." Eliwood muttered.
"Omigawd!" Ephidel piped happily. "Can you believe it? There's going to be a ball at Castle Caelin! And every eligible bachelor in the land is to attend. That's me."
"Me, too!" Eliwood exclaimed.
Ephidel and Limstella stared at him like he had a third arm. Ephidel sneered, "You? That's rich! You wouldn't attract flies if you were covered in honey!"
"Yes I would!" Eliwood argued. "I did last week, when I accidentally dropped the honey jar on the floor and didn't have anything to clean it up with..."
"I have an idea," a voice said from the stairs. It was Nergal. "If CinderEliwood can complete his chores, clean this house top to bottom in time for the ball, then he may attend."
"Father!" Ephidel and Limstella cried in unison. They shoved past Eliwood and ran to meet Nergal, demanding of him whether he felt alright and if he should be out of bed.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Nergal assured them.
"Clean the whole house?" Eliwood repeated, slumping.
"Yes, make him finish the whole week's chores!" Ephidel agreed.
"And you have to help us prepare for the ball, too!" Limstella added.
"Otherwise," Nergal finished, "No ball for you."
Eliwood thought for a moment, then steeled himself, squaring his shoulders. "I'll do it! I'll show you I can do it! I'll have every single possible chore in this house done in time for the ball."
"Very good," Nergal accepted. "Come Ephidel, Limstella. We need to decide what you're going to wear."
Eliwood ran off to begin right away on his chores. Ephidel grasped his father's arm and protested, "I don't want him going with us! He'll ruin everything!""What makes you think he'll finish in time?" Nergal asked with his sinister smile. "Besides, he has nothing decent to wear."
"Yeah, that's right!" Limstella agreed. "All the clothes he has are dirty rags he uses to clean the house in. Nothing fit for a ball, that's for sure."
"Hehe. Stupid CinderEliwood," Ephidel chuckled. "I'll have to get him to paint my nails later."
For the next five days, Eliwood worked like he'd never worked before. By the morning of the fifth day, every toilet had been scrubbed a pristine white, and every floor waxed to the slipperiness of a skating rink.
"CINDERELIWOOD!"
Ephidel stomped down the stairs to see Eliwood dancing merrily with a floor buffer in the front hall, giving the floor an unearthly sheen.
"Stop that pansy dancing at once and come do my nails again! I want black this time."
Eliwood sighed and turned off the floor buffer. For the past five days, Ephidel had been unusually fickle, demanding that Eliwood paint his nails a different colour. He thought perhaps Ephidel was trying to give him more chores than he could handle, but it was to no avail. The entire house was spotless, and Eliwood still had the whole day.
Ephidel led the way to his room, sitting purposefully at a table and holding his hand out. Eliwood sat down across from him, and upturned the bottle of polish remover over a cotton ball, and began stripping Ephidel's nails of their current hot pink.
"You seem chipper," Ephidel commented snidely. "Fancy yourself ready to go to the ball tonight?"
"I sure do!" Eliwood beamed. "I've finished everything. I've got all day to prepare."
Ephidel snorted. "I see. I'm going to the ball in that black and red embroidered suit, with the violet cloak. That's why I wanted my nails black. What are YOU wearing?"
Eliwood thought for a moment. "Well, I still have to pick something out."
"Hmph. Good luck," Ephidel bid sarcastically.
When Eliwood had finished Ephidel's nails, Ephidel inspected the new black polish.
"Excellent work, as usual," he commended. He stood up in a flourish, and one arm waved out and struck a container of powder. A crashed to the floor along with the puff, spilling the fine white powder all over the carpet.
"Aww..." Eliwood groaned.
"Oops, clumsy me!" Ephidel laughed. "Clean that up, won't you, dear?" He exited the room, blowing on his nails all the way.
Eliwood grabbed a still-damp rag from his belt and began wiping the powder out of the carpet. He knew that Ephidel did that on purpose, so he ignored some of the powder that got scrubbed into the individual strands.
Besides, now was his chance. Ephidel had made the unwise choice of leaving Eliwood alone in the wicked stepbrother's room, with complete access to his entire wardrobe. Eliwood knew full well that he had nothing proper to wear to a ball at Castle Caelin, but he knew that Ephidel would.
Eliwood made his way over to the walk-in closet and began pawing through all of the outfits hung there. Much to his distress, he discovered a strapless red-sequined gown. He made a face and quickly replaced it, hoping that Limstella kept some of her clothes in here.
Finally, he found it, the outfit he was looking for. It was a long, blue, gold-trimmed coat, along with a pair of white breeches. Eliwood smiled triumphantly and spirited the garments away.
Upon returning to his own chamber, a lonely, barren room at the top of a tower, Eliwood set to work at modifying the coat to the best of his ability. Ephidel had a lot of clothes, and he would never know that this coat was actually his. Eliwood gathered up all the sewing materials he possessed and got to work pulling out some of the embroidery. He hemmed the pants a bit, and cut about five gold buttons off each of the shirt cuffs.
Satisfied, Eliwood put the coat and breeches away and went searching through the large metal trunk in the corner. It was one of the few possessions that Eliwood had managed to keep after his stepfamily began helping themselves to everything he and his parents owned. The trunk contained a few items that his mother and father once possessed, and there was one item that he knew would be perfect for the occasion. A long blue and red cape, once belonging to his father. It was worn out a little along the edges, but mothballs had kept it in relatively good repair. He also found a pair of blue boots that would match the outfit as well, and a gold diadem. He hid everything as well as he could, and departed to look for any finishing touches to his chores.
"I can't believe he actually finished," Limstella scoffed. "That guy needs a hobby, I swear."
"I'm more worried about what he'll be wearing," Ephidel said, brows knitted. "It would be embarrassing to have some little waif in rags following us around. Father, make him take another carriage! I wouldn't be caught dead hanging around him!"
"That would be extra fare," Nergal said tersely. "I'll not be spending more money on an extra carriage for him."
"Good point," Ephidel nodded.
Eliwood came down the stairs at that point, dressed in his new outfit. Even Ephidel had to admit, he looked regally splendid in the blue coat with gold trimming. The blue coat and gold trimming he could almost swear belonged to him.
"Ah, I see you found something decent to wear," Nergal said gently, that slippery smile growing on his ancient face once again.
Ephidel scowled, his hands twitching. He walked up to the foot of the stairs, blocking Eliwood from advancing.
"That's. My. Coat."
"No, it's not!" Eliwood protested. "This belonged to my father! Get out of my way!"
"You arrogant little wretch!" Ephidel screamed. He grabbed Eliwood by the collar and swung him backwards. Eliwood stumbled backwards, thrown off balance, as Ephidel conjured a ball of fire. It exploded at Eliwood's feet, pelting him with a sweltering heat, ruining much of the bottom part of his outfit.
Eliwood cried out, and before he had the chance to recover, Limstella extended her palm at Eliwood, showering him with deadly shards of ice and biting wind. Eliwood was thrown into the wall, his cape and coat reduced to tatters. He fell to the floor, hunched over in pain.
"Don't you ever touch my clothes again!" Ephidel shouted. He kicked Eliwood in the side, causing him to scream, clutching his stomach and writhing in pain. He finally managed to climb to his feet, and ran as fast as he could towards the courtyard.
"Come, children," Nergal beckoned, as if nothing had happened. "The carriage is waiting for us."
"The nerve of that little..." Ephidel muttered. He had not taken three steps to the door when he suddenly lost his footing and went careening to the floor.
"Smooth move," Limstella congratulated him.
"The floor is slippery!" Ephidel whined in retort. "It's your fault!"
"My ice didn't touch the floor!" Limstella defended. She turned and stormed towards the door, slipping on the freshly waxed floor as well and landing with a distinct thud.
Nergal closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.
Eliwood had fled to the courtyard. He now knelt next to the fountain, watching listlessly as his tears disturbed the surface of the water. His back stung from the freezing shards of ice, and his father's cape had been all but ruined. And to top it all off, he would never go to the Castle Caelin ball now, even after having worked extra hard cleaning every last corner of the giant house. He thought it might be nice to stick his head beneath the water and stay there.
His thoughts were disturbed when it felt like something touched the top of his head, like a drop of water. He looked up, determining that with his luck, it had started raining. But the sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. And the fountain was turned off after dark.
Another thing like a drop of water fell on his hand, and he was surprised to find a tiny yellow spark resting there. He inspected it for a moment, but it soon faded out and vanished. He looked up once again, and there in the sky came hundreds of these little sparks, falling like snow. He stood up and watched the phenomenon unfold.
More little sparks began to fall on a spot before him, slowly turning into a solid figure of light. When the light subsided, there was only a bearded man left standing there, dressed in armor with gossamer wings and carrying a wand.
The man smiled confidently at Eliwood, the snow of sparks disappearing all together. It suddenly dawned on Eliwood that a strange man had just appeared out of nowhere, and he stumbled back and sat on the edge of the fountain.
"Wh-who are you?!" Eliwood demanded.
"Why, Eliwood," the man chided. "You don't know me? It is I, your fairy godfather. But please, call me Marcus."
"Um, n-nice to meet you," Eliwood stammered. He stood and tentatively shook Marcus's outstretched hand. "But, why are you here?"
"Whenever you're at your wit's end, your fairy godfather shall appear and mend," Marcus replied poetically. "I'm here to make all your dreams come true."
"You can do that?" Eliwood asked in awe.
"But of course! Just watch." Marcus inspected Eliwood. "Hm... Well, for starters, we can't have you going to the ball in those. And you must be a frightful mess from those magic spells."
"My back is killing me..." Eliwood confirmed.
"Then be healed, m'boy!" Marcus cried boisterously. "And try this little number on for size!"
Marcus laughed heartily and waved the black wand in his hand, leaving a trail of more yellow sparks. Eliwood suddenly felt a pleasantly cool sensation all over his body, and the pain in his back disappeared. A great deal of larger sparks shot up from the ground, encompassing his body entirely. When they disappeared, Eliwood looked down to see what they had done. He was amazed to see that he was now wearing a stylish white embroidered suit. His cape had been restored as good as new, and the blue had been replaced with the same white as his suit.
"This is great!" Eliwood exclaimed. "A little stiff, but I'll manage. This is just what I needed to go to the ball!" His smile faltered. "But, how am I going to get there? I don't have money for carriage fare..."
"That's what I'm here for!" Marcus replied. "I'll conjure you your very own coach."
"My own coach! Wow!" Eliwood cried excitedly. "I'll be travelling in high style!"
Marcus waved the wand once again, and the sound of a horn honking could be heard on the road outside the courtyard. A large bus pulled up at the gates.
"A Greyhound?" Eliwood guessed, tilting his head.
"The very finest coach!" Marcus assured him. He gave him a pat on the back. "Now, go on, and have fun!"
"I will, Marcus!" Eliwood said, running for the bus. "Thank you so much!"
"But just remember this!" Marcus called out after him. "The magic I've bestowed upon you will dispel on the stroke of midnight! The clothes I've given you, and that coach. If you don't want to get caught, you'd best leave before then!"
"Can do!" Eliwood agreed. He waved and hopped aboard the bus.
Marcus waved back, and disappeared in a flurry of sparks.
Eliwood climbed up the steps and greeted the bus driver, a young man with shaggy green hair.
"Hiya, I'm Lowen," the bus driver greeted back. "I'll be driving you to Castle Caelin tonight. I hope your ride is a comfortable one."
"Thanks, Lowen!" Eliwood exclaimed. He was thrilled beyond imagining.
He sat down in one of the seats in the middle of the bus. There were no other passengers, so he had his pick.
"Good evening, and welcome aboard Pherae Bus Lines!" a woman with long blue hair said cheerfully into a microphone. "My name is Isadora, and I'll be your attendant."
"Hi, Isadora!" Eliwood greeted.
"Please fasten your seatbelts as shown on the diagram," Isadora continued. "Should there be an emergency, exits are located here, here, and here. Tonight's movie will be CasaBlackFang, starring Bartre Bogart and Karla Burgman. Please enjoy your ride."
Eliwood spent most of the trip watching the famed classic CasaBlackFang.
"Of all bars in world," Bartre said on the screen as Karel played "Heart and Soul" in the background, "Why me have to walk in hers? BLARG!"
"Coffee, tea, popcorn, peanuts," a man said, wheeling a tray down the aisle.
"I'll take some popcorn!" Eliwood exclaimed. The blonde man handed him a bag of popcorn, and Eliwood inspected the name tag on his shirt. "Thanks very much...Harken. Hey, wait a second, why are you serving food on coach?"
"Remember what Marcus said," Harken chided, waving a finger. "The very finest coach."
Eliwood smiled and nodded, and Harken continued on his rounds, even though there were no other passengers.
"Karel, this could be start of beautiful friendship."
"Die."
"BLARG!"
Eliwood sat enthralled by the movie, munching away on popcorn. By the time it finished, they had arrived at Castle Caelin.
"Thank you for choosing Pherae Bus Lines," Isadora piped. "Please exit the vehicle in an orderly fashion."
Eliwood thanked them all profusely and went skipping merrily to the castle. He determined that it was a masked ball, as he was handed a white mask at the door by a servant. For this he was thankful. Even though the mask really only covered his eyes, anything to keep his stepkin guessing was a good thing.
He walked out into the ballroom and marvelled at all the dancing couples. A band was playing a slow waltz. Eliwood tried to blend in with the crowds, attempting to spot his stepkin in order to stay away from them. In his searching, his eyes fell upon the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She appeared to be partly Sacaen in her heritage, with long hunter green hair in a high ponytail and a slitted blue dress. Her striking visage and the curve of her thigh made Eliwood's heart beat faster, and felt the room suddenly become a little too close to bear. With all the might of his will, he turned away, only to spot his stepkin across the room.
They appeared to be speaking among one another, straightening Ephidel's clothes every so often. He determined that that lout Ephidel was going to try and woo the girl of Eliwood's dreams.
"Don't make a fool of yourself," Nergal ordered.
"Yeah, you do it so well," Limstella agreed.
"Please, I'm as graceful as any feline," Ephidel countered calmly.
"More like female," Limstella muttered.
Ephidel glared. "Besides, it won't take much. No woman can resist my charm. Just look at this hair. These cherry-red lips."
"To go with your cherry-red eye shadow," Limstella added.
"It's a statement, okay?!" Ephidel snapped.
Nergal grasped Ephidel's chin to make his son look at him. "This is your moment, son. If you can get the Lady Lyndis to marry you, we'll rich, famous, and in complete control of Caelin. You do understand the consequences if you fail, right?"
"You throw me out of the house and make me live in a cardboard box?" Ephidel gulped.
"Clever boy," Nergal grinned wickedly.
Ephidel puffed out his chest and prepared to greet the lady.
Limstella came up behind him and taunted, "You heard father. Don't mess up. Not only will you be living in a box, but I'll snap all of your eyeliner pencils in two, got it?!"
Ephidel snorted and crossed his arms arrogantly. "I think you're just jealous."
"And I think your thong's on too tight," Limstella retorted. She gave Ephidel a shove in the direction of Lady Lyndis.
Lyn was thoroughly bored. None of the suitors lined up before her were of interest, and many were just pigs. One had a giant nose and sounded like a dying yak; one was a fat, balding old man, and whatever hair he did have was extremely greasy; and one was a weasel of a man who spoke in a hiss and tried to feel her up. He had been carried off by several healers.
She wondered why her grandfather had decided that this was a good idea. Lyn was not particularly interested in finding a husband; she would rather find a good sparring partner, someone she could be friends with. If the trends of that night continued, she would have no luck.
The next man approaching her did not look any more promising than the last. He was handsome, no question, with slightly curly black hair in a low ponytail, and quite tall. However, his ghostly pale complexion, golden eyes and— worst of all, make-up— made her recoil slightly.
"Good evening, milady," he said smoothly. He took her hand and kissed it. "My name is Ephidel."
"Um, good evening," Lyn greeted. "Lyndis. ...So. Where are you from?"
"Pherae," Ephidel replied.
"Ah," Lyn said, nodding. There was an awkward silence. Lyn looked down, and noticed that Ephidel's boots had an unusually high heel. "I-I like your boots. I'm wearing high-heeled shoes tonight, and they're killing me. I have no idea how to walk in these things."
"It's quite simple, actually," Ephidel enthused. He began pulling off on of his boots. "Here, hand them over." Limstella clutched the sides of her head.
Limstella clutched the sides of her head. "What the hell is he DOING?!"
"Like this, see? Heel, toe, heel, toe, heel, toe."
Lyn watched carefully as Ephidel took six steps in her high heels with perfect poise.
"I'm impressed," Lyn admitted. "The chancellor is always telling me I need to learn proper manners to be a lady. I don't know if I can handle this whole thing..."
"I'm sure you can manage," Ephidel assured her. He did a little turn. "Hell, I'm starting to think I could be a lady!"
"Uh...huh," Lyn said politely, forcing a smile. She pivoted her gaze around the room to see how many people were staring, when her eyes fell upon the handsomest man she had ever seen. He wore a charming white embroidered suit with a dashing white and red cape. He had a head of gorgeous hair, red, like the flames of passion—! She shook her head. She was getting a little ahead of herself.
"Here you go," Ephidel said, interrupting her little fantasy. She accepted her high heels back with a smile.
After Ephidel replaced his own shoes, he said, "Now, what were we talking about before— hm?"
Lyn was not listening. She had strolled off, leaving him to stare after her. She approached the man with red hair.
"I don't believe we've met."
The man looked at her, startled. He paused for a moment before saying, "No, I don't believe we have."
"Care to dance?" Lyn offered. She held her hand out to him. He stared at the limb for a moment before smiling and accepting her offer.
"You idiot!" Limstella raged when Ephidel returned. She held a hand to her ear and began sarcastically, "Oh, oh, what's that sound? I believe it's the snapping of Midnight Magic #25!"
"No! Not Midnight Magic!" Ephidel pleaded.
"You taught her to walk in high heels?!" Nergal exclaimed in disbelief. "Yes, Ephidel, that's VERY attractive, a man who thinks he can be a lady."
"Chicks dig that these days!" Ephidel defended himself tearfully.
Nergal watched as Lyndis danced with some other man. He growled, "Well, we've blown our chance now. How disappointing..."
He thought his eyes— or eye, as it were— was playing tricks on him. From the back, he could have sworn the man dancing with the lady was Eliwood. He had that same flaming red hair. But the outfit, he had never seen before, and he could not fathom where Eliwood would have found anything like it, or how he could have gotten to the ball. From the front, the mask he wore made it was difficult to identify the face behind it. Nergal finally could no longer stand the sight of this man. There was no mistaking; it HAD to be Eliwood. His gnarled old fingers clawed, Nergal took a step in the direction of the dance floor.
"The buffet is open!" a voice called from a corner of the room.
A sudden crush of bodies making a beeline for the buffet created a wall in front of Nergal, blocking his view and his advance.
"Um, excuse... Excuse me!"
"Back of the line, pops!"
Nergal growled. He quivered with rage, releasing a black aura around his body. He suddenly realized what he was doing, and tried to calm himself, as to not be detected. He smoothed out his robes and stalked off in search of another way to reach Eliwood.
"F-father?" Ephidel called after him. "Where are you going?"
"Wait," Limstella said, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Maybe we should just go home."
Ephidel nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
Marquess Caelin sat in the balcony above the ballroom, watching the ball take place.
He sighed. "Lyndis does not appear taken with any of the men that have attended the ball. I shall never find a suitable companion for my granddaughter."
"Cheer up, milord," the Grand Duke Canas told the marquess. "Why, just look over there. I do believe that is the Lady Lyndis dancing with a dashing red-haired boy."
"What?!" Hausen exclaimed. "Let me see!"
He snatched Canas's monocle and dragged the duke over to the edge of the railing, where the marquess held the lens over his eye.
"Good gracious, it's true!" Hausen exclaimed. "Whoopee!"
He threw his hands up in the air triumphantly, and Canas scrambled to rescue his monocle.
"It is indeed wonderful news, milord," Canas concurred, replacing the monocle in his right eye.
"I want you to go down there and make certain that they are not disturbed," Lord Hausen commanded with a stern glance. "Understand?"
"Yes sir, milord!" Canas complied cheerily.
I'm in heaven, Eliwood thought. I've died and gone to heaven.
This was all Eliwood could think of as he danced with the girl of his dreams. They danced out of the ballroom and out onto a stone balcony looking out over the courtyard. Eliwood thanked every god, saint and devil that he had not tripped or stomped on her foot.
"I can't let this go unsaid for any longer," Lyn spoke suddenly, snapping Eliwood out of his reverie. "I've never seen violet eyes such as yours. They're quite beautiful."
"Violet?" Eliwood repeated. They had stopped dancing for a moment, and Eliwood sidled over to a door column with a reflective surface. His eyes were no longer their normal blue, but a deep violet. It must have been another gift from Marcus.
"Ah, of course they're violet!" Eliwood exclaimed quickly. "They've always been violet! Haha! Yes..."
Lyn stared for a moment, then smiled. She turned and leaned on the balcony railing. "Isn't the courtyard lovely? I love nature. I do miss the plains, though..."
"I knew it," Eliwood said as he joined her. "So you're Sacaen?"
"Only partly," she replied.
"Well, as lovely as the courtyard may be," Eliwood said, taking her hands in his own, "It pales to the loveliness up here on this balcony."
"That's a bit concei— Oh, you mean me! You flatter me, kind sir..."
Eliwood leaned in ever closer to Lyn, his heart pounding in anticipation. He closed his eyes, and— he heard the large bell in the clock tower sound.
"Um, hold that thought," he said. He rushed over to the other side of the balcony and leaned over the railing, straining to see the clock tower. Midnight.
"How long were we dancing?!" he exclaimed. "I'm really, really sorry, but I have to go."
"Go? Why?" Lyn demanded.
"I just do!" Eliwood replied, running back into the palace and towards the exit. "I'm so terribly sorry!"
"Wait! Please, just wait for a moment!" Lyn pleaded. "I don't even know your name!"
Eliwood did not hear, for he was already sprinting down the staircase to the road. It hit him then just how close he had come to falling in love— strike that, he was in love— until it was ruined by the stroke of midnight. Tears welled up in his eyes, obscuring his vision. He rubbed at his right eye, and flinched when he felt a sudden irritation. He shook out his head and his hand and continued on down the stairs to where the coach was waiting.
"He's getting away!" Lyn shouted. "Grand Duke! After him!"
"Deploy the mounted units!" Canas commanded.
The door to the coach opened, and Lowen beckoned Eliwood come. "Hurry! Get inside!"
Eliwood leapt into the bus, and the vehicle took off without a moment to spare. Eliwood heard as the clock tower tolled his veritable doom, seeming to laugh at him twelve times over. The peals were accompanied by the pounding of hooves of a pair of cavaliers. Three Pegasus knights took off into the night sky.
Lowen speeded the bus as fast as he could down the road. The peals from the clock tower began to fade into the distance, but there was no mistaking when the last one came. Eliwood watched as the sides of the bus became blurry, as if turning into wind. They soon melted entirely, along with everything else in the bus, and disappeared in a cloud of mist. Eliwood, Lowen, Isadora and Harken suddenly stopped in mid-air and fell to the ground.
"Run away!" Lowen shouted. The three scattered off into the forest, and Eliwood ducked into the brush on the other side of the road. He crawled away deeper into the trees, not in the least concerned about the already tattered clothing that he was wearing again.
The two cavaliers stopped just beyond where Eliwood sat stiffly up against a tree, afraid to make a move or even breathe. He could not allow them to take him back. He could not allow Lyn to see him like this, and if his stepkin were still there...
Eliwood observed the cavaliers from a distance as they looked about the forest.
Werewolves on horseback? Eliwood thought. That seems a bit much... It's not my fault I had to leave...
He tried to carefully back away from the road. With any luck, he could escape back home without being detected. Luck was not on his side, however, when his hand snapped a tiny branch beneath it.
A red-headed werewolf cavalier on the road twitched an ear in his direction. Eliwood sat perfectly still as the cavalier searched the brush for the source of the noise. Eliwood could have damned his flaming red hair at that point.
"He's not here," the other, brunette werewolf cavalier said. "And that coach has vanished."
"Let's return," the red-headed one said to the other. "The Peg Knights will have an easier time of sweeping the forest anyway. If the coach is gone, we're of little use here."
Eliwood started breathing again as he heard the pounding of hooves fade away back down the road. But now he had something else to worry about. There were Peg Knights in the sky looking for him.
He gathered that if he remained in the forest for as long as he could while returning home, he could escape detection. Besides, the way he was dressed now, he would never be mistaken for the rich young noble the beautiful Lyndis had danced with at the ball.