Disclaimer: Well, "Cinderella" certainly isn't mine, but the changed plot belongs to me, as do everything else. So do me a favor and don't land yourself in jail for life by stealing other people's things (or doing anything else bad for that matter).

Author's Note: After two years . . well, this is finally being updated. Yay? And as for the really really long time for updating – well, it's been a lot of things. Things that I can't even put on paper. No excuse, I know . . maybe this chapter will help?

This goes out to my dear friend, Madiha, who's always been there and a tremendous support. Here's your (very belated) birthday present!

- - -

Part Four: The Courtship

- - -

The eve of September seventeenth was a day Amity Spencer would never forget. It was the day she got engaged to the prince, Eric Livingston.

Just thinking of last night brought a sleepy smile to her face and a brightness to her eyes. She couldn't believe that she had actually danced with Eric Livingston. Of all the people in the world!

Sighing with contentment, she slept.

- - -

Edward Spencer breathed a sigh of satisfaction when he dropped his pen down on the paper. He was very happy today because one, Amity and Eric had hit it off (just barely, he thought, suppressing an amused grin) last night at the ball, and two, he had gotten his heavy load of work done just in time to hear his friend's (who coincidentally happened to be Manford) account of what had happened then, and what was going to happen that day.

"Last night," Manford said now, "Prince Eric and Lady Amity danced all throughout the evening and therefore missed dinner. Much to Queen Isabel's dismay," he added, making Edward grin. "King Pedro didn't mind, considering that he had watched them dancing until late at night, when Amity left Eric."

What Manford was careful not to add was the fact that Eric had been left with a deep ache inside him that he just couldn't explain. And how did Manford know of that? Looks told everything a person needed to know, and more, he thought. They expressed everything yet told nothing. They weren't meaningless; they were meaningful.

And Manford felt that when it came to Amity, Eric would let go of everything he had with no regrets, as long as he had her. The look on his face when Amity had left, one of devastation and beyond heartbreaking emotions that he had been feeling, had told Manford everything.

"But in her haste to go," he continued, "Amity left a sandal behind. Eric didn't have to bother on finding out the sandal's owner, since he already knew whom it belonged to." Manford finished.

Edward couldn't help but grin widely at this.

- - -

Eric sighed softly and looked out his bedroom window. It had been a full twenty four hours last that he had seen Amity. Now he wondered what would happen next, what Amity would choose.

After the ball, Eric had gone to sleep at one o'clock in the morning. As much as he tried to sleep, he couldn't. He kept thinking about Amity; the way she had dressed, how she looked, all lit up with a quiet happiness that shone in her eyes and her smile, when she had put his hand on her waist . . Eric groaned and shook his head.

Even if he was smitten with her, he was pretty sure that she wouldn't go for it. He was, after all, scared of the Spencer reputation. Just because the Spencers were more widely known than Eric himself was, it wasn't really a smart reason to be scared of the Spencer family's reputation. It was, in fact, a silly reason. He shouldn't have been scared of them at all. They were equal to all of the townspeople – and the royal family, too.

So what now? Eric looked at the sandal. He already knew who "Cinderella" was; he just wasn't sure if he was the ideal Prince Charming for her.

He sighed again, and closed his eyes. Taking a few steady deep breaths, he opened his eyes and steeled himself. Eric was ready for heartbreak.

- - -

"Amity! Amity!" someone shook her gently. "Wake up and look at this notice from the Palace!"

Amity awoke and groaned upon seeing the look on Lilith's face. Lilith also happened to be a kitchen maid and Amity's sole friend. "What is it, Lilith?" she grumbled sleepily.

"Master sent me up here to give this to you, Amity," Lilith explained excitedly. She handed an envelope over to the other girl. "It's from the Palace, he says."

"The Palace?" Amity gulped silently. So it's from Eric. Yet for some particular reason, she didn't mind. "You may go, Lilith."

- - -

Amity looked at the envelope in her hands. She wondered what it contained inside. A marriage purposal? But that was too hopeful, even for her. After all, why would Eric want to marry an ordinary common girl when he could have, well, anyone he wanted? But . . . she sighed deeply. Was she the right girl for him or not? Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. She wanted to scream; she couldn't stand any of this.

Then what was it? Eric had told her last night that he was expected to make his choice on his bride and future Queen the very next day; and today just so happened to be that day. Amity wasn't sure what to feel; should she just watch while he went off with the woman of his dreams? She bit her lip; now she just didn't know what to do, what to think, what to feel. Would she stop him? Or would she let him gallop off with his bride?

Amity sighed, the turmoil of emotions running through her starting to drive her stark raving mad. If she let them get to her any more she knew and was sure she would go insane and suffer from self doubt for the rest of her life. And most likely have breakdowns. She winced at that image.

She was surprised on how much this little envelope was driving her crazy! So just go ahead and open it then! Her mind scolded her gently.

She carefully opened the seal on the envelope and took the letter out of it. She sucked in her breath – this couldn't be real. It just couldn't.

But it was.

Dear Amity,

You're probably wondering why I'm writing you this, especially after what happened last night. You chose the perfect time to leave, really.

Amity couldn't help herself and smiled.

Thanks to that, I didn't get the chance to tell you this. So now I'm writing it to you, with a glimmer of hope that you won't scorn me – or worse, not feel the same way.

She swallowed at this, and, in spite of herself, read on.

Amity, I love you. Really and truly I do – this is no prank or sick joke. It's the truth that we both don't want to confront – but we have to. There's no use in denying or avoiding it. No matter much how we want to.

And perhaps, if you allow me, can I have your hand in marriage? Alright, I'll just come right out and say it. I love you, Amity, and will you marry me?

You're probably surprised at the way I sprung this suddenly on you, and for that I'm sincerely sorry. But I cannot deny it any longer. I'm in love with you, Amity Spencer, and there's no way that I'm going to deny this.

I've thought long and hard about this, and I've never felt so sure of anything in my life that came close to this. I need you, Amity. Like a person needs oxygen, a breath of fresh air, peace, quiet, love – I need you.

-- Eric

Amity closed her eyes and swallowed again. Eric loved her? Her, of all people? And he didn't even care that he loved a Spencer, someone who happened to be Edward Spencer's daughter. He loved her.

And he needs me. Her eyes grew blurry. She blinked, and all was clear again. A few surprised tears escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks. And I need him too.

Without even bothering to brush away the tears, Amity slid down against the wall she'd been leaning against and sat there on the floor, crying softly until the dawn vanished from her window. Her room was locked the whole morning after that.

- - -

Eric looked at the sprawling mansion that lay before him, and gulped silently. It wasn't that he was afraid – no, quite the contrary, as a matter of fact.

He was very uncertain of what Amity's reaction would be when he asked – hopefully he would ask – her to go on an outing with him. He wondered vaguely if she was reading his letter at that very moment, and felt a twinge of apprehension and nervousness hit him full force.

With a faltering by the minute resolute look on his face, Eric knocked on the Spencers' front door. He knew what he was about to do – maybe even possibly risk – and he was prepared for it. No matter what, he decided, he would have Amity as his wife, come December.

Amity rubbed her eyes and carefully stood up, as to not disturb her numb foot. She was a real mess; if Eric had seen her that moment, though, he would have thought of her even more beautiful than he knew she was.

She smiled softly at that thought.

That afternoon –

Amity's nut brown hair was a tumbled mess of tangles now; she couldn't help noticing, and tried not to grimace at the thought of combing through it.

Then her face took on a look of extreme sadness; she was remembering her mother. Cassia Spencer had handed down to Amity the infamous murderously knotty hair that the Spencer women were so well known for.

Even though Amity was very annoyed with her hair, it was the only feature that she had inherited from her mother. She sighed and set to work on untangling her knotty hair.

She'd been brushing her hair for only a few minutes when she heard a distant knock pierce the silence, echoing throughout the house. Or so it seemed.

Amity felt the blood rush to her head when she peered out the window to see who it was. Her ears were pounding – Eric was at the door.

And god, didn't Amity ever want to see him as much as she did at that moment.

- - -

Lilith ran out of the kitchen and managed to gracefully open the door in record time. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty," she said, not looking the least bit taken aback. "Why don't you come in and warm up a bit? It's awfully windy and cold outside."

"I agree. September is usually never this cold," Eric commented. He walked into the house and Lilith shut the door after him, making sure not to lock it.

"Whom do you wish to see, Your Majesty?" she asked.

"Please, call me Eric," he said kindly. "I am not to be addressed as anything but Eric in this house. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your – I mean, Eric," Lilith quickly corrected herself.

"Good." He gave a little smile. "Is Miss Amity Spencer here? And if so, I wish to see her."

Lilith hesitated. Should she tell him about the intense grief he had caused Amity? Would he even want – or wish – to see her in the aftermath of her crying? Then she mentally slapped herself for even having that thought in her mind. It was plain to see that Eric loved Amity very much – and she did in return. He would love her even when her appearance was messy and very wild-looking, Lilith knew.

With that last thought embedded firmly in her mind, she cleared her throat and spoke. So what if Amity would kill her for this; that girl deserved all the happiness the world could offer, and most importantly, what Eric offered. "She's here. If you'll please follow me, I'll take you to see her."

Right now, at that moment, nothing else warmed her heart than to see the happy smile on Eric's face. "Lead the way, Miss . . ." He drifted off.

"Lilith," she smiled. "My name is Lilith."

"Well then, lead the way, Miss Lilith," Eric said, returning her smile with one of his own.

- - -

Amity felt herself to be a lot calmer after a few minutes of straightening herself up. She wondered vaguely who had answered the door – had it been Lilith? She'd distantly heard voices – Lilith's and Eric's. And at that thought, she felt herself stiffen. Even thinking about him was painful now.

Even though Lilith had been there lots of times whenever Amity went into one of her crying fits, Amity was secretly glad that Lilith had not been with her through this one. She may have had seen Amity's very messy appearance a countless number of times, but it was sure as hell that Eric hadn't.

Amity looked at herself in the mirror and found herself to be presentable. Her eyes were still tinged with red, but that would disappear soon if she didn't rub them vigorously or cry herself out again. Her nut brown hair was now tangle free (save for a few stubborn knots, but that couldn't be helped) and now her face was shining with life.

Wait a minute! What if Eric wasn't here to see her? Not her, but her father? Or maybe he was here to ask her father something, and then see her afterwards. It was plausible. Amity sighed deeply and was startled when there was a sharp knock on the door.

She rushed over to open it and had to swallow back her shock and curiosity at the sight of Eric. "What is it, Lililth?" she asked politely, pretending that all was normal and fighting down the urge to just run over to Eric and hug him so tightly – and never let go.

The servant girl bowed slightly. "His Majesty wishes to talk to you about something. He says that it's urgent."

"Fine by me," Amity replied. "Please come in, Your Majesty. Lilith, you may go."

The girl nodded, and left.

Amity knew that she was defying tradition and committing a serious offense in etiquette by letting a male into her room, but right now at the moment, she just didn't care.

She held the door open for him and then once he was inside, shut it. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she finally broke it and asked in a level voice, her heart pounding erratically when she looked at him, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you something," Eric said quietly. It was then that Amity noticed that Eric was in his normal, "princely" attire – a.k.a. his royal military uniform.

"And what is it?" she suddenly felt a lump form in her throat.

Eric looked directly at her, their eyes meeting in an intense gaze. He swallowed hard. "I've come to ask your hand in marriage," he said quietly. Somehow, those brown eyes of his still gave Amity a tingle and left a warm, giddy feeling in her heart.

When he said this however, her heart and mind came to a total and complete stop. He'd come for her hand in marriage? As much as Amity's buzzing brain refused to accept it, she knew she had to. And she wanted to. She knew Eric loved her, and that she loved him back. They would both go to the ends of the earth just to make the other person happy – even if, in the end, they weren't together.

But there was one slight (Amity scoffed at that) problem. A boundary that both Amity and Eric knew that once they crossed it, it would be unacceptable to the townspeople, not to mention to society.

The thought of even crossing it was forbidden and shameful. Both of them knew this. But they were willing – more than willing – to risk the townspeople's and society's wrath, and cross the boundary – the line that held society and social classes together. The edge between royalty and ordinary, plain paupers (and not quite paupers, yet not quite rich either, Amity reflected), the line between rich and poor – whatever one wanted to name it.

They also knew that if they crossed it, there would be no turning back. They couldn't back out of this, what they had, even if they wanted to. They were willing; they would do this, no matter what it took.

"Eric?" Amity asked softly. He raised his eyes up from the floor, which he had been avidly staring at, to meet up once again with Amity's. Right after he had asked for her hand in marriage, he'd immediately dropped his gaze down to the floor, not wanting to meet her eyes, waiting patiently for her answer.

"Yes?" he said hoarsely, his eyes holding despair and something else within the brown depths. And that was fear.

He thought that she was going to reject him! Amity wanted to laugh at that thought. If she didn't love him, she wouldn't even reject him then still; she knew she wouldn't. And it wasn't any different even when she loved him – which she did.

Amity took his hands in hers and looked at him imploringly. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Eric braced himself for her answer.

"I would love to marry you, Eric." And she gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

It took only a second for that to register in his mind, and when it did, Amity couldn't describe in words what the look in his eyes and his facial expression said. "Amity . . ." was all he could say.

"Really, Eric, you didn't think that I would reject you now, did you?" Amity lifted an eyebrow at him. "I love you, so I would say yes quicker than a heartbeat." Realizing then what she had just accidentally said, her eyes widened while Eric's eyes filled with gentle amusement, and her hands flew up to her mouth.

He laughed tenderly and took her hands off her mouth, clasping one of them with his own.

"I know," was all he said.

Amity only put her arms around him, and cried with happiness.

"Just so you'd know – I love you too," he whispered, softly enough for her to hear.

Amity only smiled softly at him, giving him her answer.

- - -

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? So you wish to marry my daughter?" He tried to keep the shock mixed with glee that he was feeling from creeping up in his voice.

"Yes, Mr. Spencer," Eric confirmed firmly, his eyes bright and serious. "I can assure you with all my heart, and everything I have, that I love her, and I want to marry her."

"Hmm . . . so I see." Edward clicked his tongue and sat back in his chair, scrutinizing Eric. Although Edward knew that Eric was the only one for Amity, he didn't want to cause – or risk – his daughter suffering again. Especially because of him.

"Don't misunderstand me, Eric," Edward folded his glasses, "it's Amity's decision and judgement that will ultimately determine whether you will marry her or not." He smiled faintly.

"I cannot choose for her. But – have you and Amity talked this out? About what you're going to do if you get married? And how your life would be after that? You'll be living a double life, Eric. One of a king, the other of a father." He sighed deeply. "And trust me on this – it's no easy task. I learned that the hard way." A bitter smile crossed his face.

Amity was quiet at this; she knew exactly what her father was talking about. Although she should've said who, not what. She couldn't help but wonder where this was going, and what her father was going to say next.

Edward saw the impassive look on her face and looked at Eric. "You're wondering where I'm going with this, right? Well," a bittersweet smile flit across his face, "perhaps it would help if you sit down, and I can tell you the whole story."

Eric obliged, sitting himself comfortably in a nearby chair, and waited. Meanwhile, Edward headed over to a side window and stared out. Finally, after a few moments, his voice broke the silence. "You know how I learned this the hard way, Eric? I went through a similar thing as you're going through just now . ." he sighed deeply. "Only I hope your situation does not turn out the same way mine did."

Puzzled, Eric sat up straight and listened with rapt attention. "What do you mean, sir?"

Edward smiled slightly. "Just listen, boy. And you'll find out all you need to know."

So Eric listened, and hesitantly, so did Amity.

Taking a sip of his strong black coffee, Edward began, his voice trembling slightly at first.

"It all started when I met Amity's mother, Cassia, at a social party." He turned to Amity now. "Your mother, Amity, was the most amazing person there ever was. She was unlike anyone I had ever met. She was my comfort, my joy, my strength, my friend . . my life." He smiled sadly in remembrance for his deceased wife.

Amity didn't say anything; she wasn't sure what to say, how to react. And telling from the look on his face, Eric didn't, either.

Edward went on, not noticing the looks on Eric and Amity's faces, instead being absorbed in his own thoughts.

"And soon," he continued, eyes going glassy, "I found myself falling in love with her, and she with me. After we went on some outings, I asked her parents if I could marry her. They said yes immediately, knowing and seeing the love that Cassia and I had for each other."

He paused. "And then when she died, that's when I fell apart. I wanted to stop living, and be in the afterlife with her. But . . ." he shook his head, "what good would that do to me? I'd be with Cassia, but I wouldn't have Amity in my life. I'd be torn away from her.

"And so I realized I had to keep on living. It was selfish of me to go and waste my life away in sadness, loneliness and yearning for the one thing, the one person I couldn't have in my life. Eventually, somehow, I got over her death," he smiled faintly, "because she rescued me from a potential mistake I was going to do, and she made me realize how horrible I was being to Amity. I wasn't being her father. The sole main support she had in her life."

He sighed deeply. "And after I realized what a selfish person I was, I decided not to remarry. In spite of everyone I knew pressuring me to marry again so Amity could have a "real mother" and a "real family," I decided not to. As far as I was concerned, Amity and I were a real family. And even though Cassia was no longer alive, she was Amity's real mother, and the only one she would ever need.

"And unfortunately, my selfishness had come at a price. Angry and brooding, I sealed myself up and shunned Amity– I disowned her. That was the greatest mistake I've ever done in my life. I was lucky enough – more than lucky enough – to realize just in time what a fool I was, and to have Amity give me a second chance, and let me be her father."

Eric was stunned – he had never known this, nor had he bothered to find out. He looked at Amity, and was surprised to see tears trailing down her cheeks. Now he knew why Amity acted the way she did, and what had made her act that way.

"So now you know the history of my family," Edward gave out a sharp, bitter laugh.

He fixed a stern gaze on Eric. "Mind you, it's Amity's decision whether you're the one she wants to marry or not, but . ." his voice trailed off. "You're allowed to court her. Marrying her, we'll see with time. Not that I don't trust you, Eric, but I want you to know that if anything, and I mean anything, happens to Amity, or you do something to her, you'll be personally responsible for it."

"I understand, sir," Eric replied calmly, glancing at Amity out of the corner of his eye every so often.

"But," Edward said, his eyes twinkling, "consider yourself and Amity engaged from now on."

They could only look at him, speechless. And before Amity even realized it, she was picked up and being spun around by Eric. "We're engaged! We're engaged!" He sang joyfully, eyes sparkling at her.

And she knew hers sparkled back.

Edward only chuckled and left, thinking it was now or never before Eric made his move.