I had passed! My graduation ceremony was over, I had my Swans degree, and
my wand. I was going to work in the school's Experience Program. This was
an agency for the less fortunate (servants, etc.). I would receive an
assignment, and make the best of it. If and when I got to the "happily ever
after" part, I would receive an award, which, aside from looking important,
would be useful in getting me a job at one of the more well-to-do wish
agencies. I didn't want to end up working for an agency like the one with
Mr. Stiltskin as the head... he was a fairly nice man, and very talented,
but his people skills and tact were... lacking. I signed up with him, and
my career could possibly go down the drain.
* * * * *
"New recruit, are you?" asked the bony looking woman behind a large wooden desk.
"Yes, ma'am. Celeste Shimmerstar is my name. I'm to be working under Mrs. Pearl."
"Mmm-hmmm." the woman pursed her lips, and stared into the computer screen in front of her. "Yes. You are to be meeting with her at 11:00."
"Yes."
"That is in five minutes."
"Yes."
"Have a seat over there, I'll let you know when she's ready to see you." the woman frowned at me, as if I were infringing on her time by showing up five minutes early.
"Thank you."
"Hmph." she sniffed.
I went and sat down in a soft purple armchair by a large bay window. Copies of "Godmother Academy News" and "The Godfather Magazine", and a book entitled "Pretty in Pink: Attractive Outfits for the Godmother on the Go" were laying on a small polished table. I picked up the last and started flipping through it.
"Ms. Shimmerstar!" snapped the receptionist.
"Yes?" I looked up from the book, which was open to a page entirely devoted to diamond accessories.
"Mrs. Pearl is ready to see you. Go through the door on my left."
I set the book back on the table, and stood up. "Thank you."
She didn't reply.
I walked to the door and pushed it open. I was in a cloud of purple. Dark purple chairs, light gauzy purple curtains, shiny purple desk, even the plump woman behind the desk was all dressed in what was apparently her favorite color.
"Hello." I said, closing the door behind me and walking over to the desk.
"Hello, Miss Shimmerstar. Have a seat." the woman gestured to the cushiony chair beside me.
"Thank you."
She looked surprised. "Why thank me? Did you really think I would make you stand throughout the whole interview?"
I smiled slightly.
"Or were you just being polite?" Mrs. Pearl asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"What you said." I grinned and sat down.
"So, tell me a bit about yourself." she commanded, once I was properly seated.
"Well, as you know, my name is Celeste Shimmerstar, and I just received my Swans degree from Godmother Academy. I'm 23 years old, and... well, that's about it."
"Hmmm." she stared at me for a moment. "I like you." she announced suddenly. "You'll make a good godmother."
"Thank you." I said, taken aback.
"You like that phrase, don't you?" Mrs. Pearl asked with a teasing note in her voice. I didn't know what to say. "Of course you do. That's all right."
I liked Mrs. Pearl too. I was expecting someone like Madam Snowlake, or the receptionist at the desk. As if she had read my thoughts, Mrs. Pearl suddenly glanced at the door. "You'll have to excuse Mrs. Dragonsnap there. She's always like that." I knew what she meant by "like that". If you spent five minutes in a room with her you'd know. I smiled.
"So." she said briskly. "We already have a subject picked out for you. It's one of the more uniform, but challenging, situations. There is a girl named Cinderella ---awful name, isn't it? I have no idea where they got that one. Can you imagine having the word "Cinder" in your name? Then again, my niece is named Ashley, and that has the word "ash" in it. Though that could be a reference to the tree... anyways, I'm getting carried away. Sorry."
I hid a smile.
"Anyways, Cinderella's mother died when she was a baby. Her father remarried about a year ago, to a woman with two daughters. That in itself is a recipe for disaster, at least if you're judging from history. Or personal experience." she added. "The father died about a month ago, and it turns out he'd lost all his money by doing something foolish with his business. So now the family has to work for a living, and the poor girl isn't liking that at all. Neither, come to think of it, are the stepfamily."
"They've made this Cinderella a servant, I presume? That's the usual case, isn't it."
"Correct. And the girl is having rather a hard time of it. She wished that she could get out of her mess while looking at a royal coach." she sighed. "You know what that means."
I nodded. "She has to marry a royal."
"Correct again. The prince of her kingdom, no less, as he was in the coach when she wished. I do wish they would watch where they wish, princes are always so hard to work with. They're either very clever or very thick, and never easy to manipulate."
I nodded, biting my lower lip. This was going to be a difficult job.
"Luckily, however, that prince is unmarried and unbetrothed, which will make our job so much easier. Betrothed are the worst. There usually ends up being a great big war if the prince says he doesn't want to marry the princess of wherever, the princess's father always takes offense."
"I know." I sighed "We had an entire class devoted to breaking off engagements."
"I know. I had to take it when I was in school. Awful thing, it was." she shook her head.
"So where does this Cinderella live?" I asked.
"About a mile east of Lillie Lake. It's the only house for a couple miles."
"That shouldn't be too hard to find. I think I might have seen it before. A big stone house, ivy crawling up the walls?"
"That's the one."
"Good. When do I start?"
"Tomorrow. Show up here at 9:00 a.m., and I'll give you all the necessary papers. Also, here is a basic summary of the situation for you to review." She handed me a couple of papers stapled together. I noticed, not feeling too surprised, that they were light purple.
"Thank you." I said, standing up.
She stood also, and looked at me closely.
"What?" I asked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
She shrugged. "Nothing. You just really like that phrase, don't you? That's not necessarily a bad thing." she added.
I liked her. She was odd, but I liked her.
* * * * *
"New recruit, are you?" asked the bony looking woman behind a large wooden desk.
"Yes, ma'am. Celeste Shimmerstar is my name. I'm to be working under Mrs. Pearl."
"Mmm-hmmm." the woman pursed her lips, and stared into the computer screen in front of her. "Yes. You are to be meeting with her at 11:00."
"Yes."
"That is in five minutes."
"Yes."
"Have a seat over there, I'll let you know when she's ready to see you." the woman frowned at me, as if I were infringing on her time by showing up five minutes early.
"Thank you."
"Hmph." she sniffed.
I went and sat down in a soft purple armchair by a large bay window. Copies of "Godmother Academy News" and "The Godfather Magazine", and a book entitled "Pretty in Pink: Attractive Outfits for the Godmother on the Go" were laying on a small polished table. I picked up the last and started flipping through it.
"Ms. Shimmerstar!" snapped the receptionist.
"Yes?" I looked up from the book, which was open to a page entirely devoted to diamond accessories.
"Mrs. Pearl is ready to see you. Go through the door on my left."
I set the book back on the table, and stood up. "Thank you."
She didn't reply.
I walked to the door and pushed it open. I was in a cloud of purple. Dark purple chairs, light gauzy purple curtains, shiny purple desk, even the plump woman behind the desk was all dressed in what was apparently her favorite color.
"Hello." I said, closing the door behind me and walking over to the desk.
"Hello, Miss Shimmerstar. Have a seat." the woman gestured to the cushiony chair beside me.
"Thank you."
She looked surprised. "Why thank me? Did you really think I would make you stand throughout the whole interview?"
I smiled slightly.
"Or were you just being polite?" Mrs. Pearl asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"What you said." I grinned and sat down.
"So, tell me a bit about yourself." she commanded, once I was properly seated.
"Well, as you know, my name is Celeste Shimmerstar, and I just received my Swans degree from Godmother Academy. I'm 23 years old, and... well, that's about it."
"Hmmm." she stared at me for a moment. "I like you." she announced suddenly. "You'll make a good godmother."
"Thank you." I said, taken aback.
"You like that phrase, don't you?" Mrs. Pearl asked with a teasing note in her voice. I didn't know what to say. "Of course you do. That's all right."
I liked Mrs. Pearl too. I was expecting someone like Madam Snowlake, or the receptionist at the desk. As if she had read my thoughts, Mrs. Pearl suddenly glanced at the door. "You'll have to excuse Mrs. Dragonsnap there. She's always like that." I knew what she meant by "like that". If you spent five minutes in a room with her you'd know. I smiled.
"So." she said briskly. "We already have a subject picked out for you. It's one of the more uniform, but challenging, situations. There is a girl named Cinderella ---awful name, isn't it? I have no idea where they got that one. Can you imagine having the word "Cinder" in your name? Then again, my niece is named Ashley, and that has the word "ash" in it. Though that could be a reference to the tree... anyways, I'm getting carried away. Sorry."
I hid a smile.
"Anyways, Cinderella's mother died when she was a baby. Her father remarried about a year ago, to a woman with two daughters. That in itself is a recipe for disaster, at least if you're judging from history. Or personal experience." she added. "The father died about a month ago, and it turns out he'd lost all his money by doing something foolish with his business. So now the family has to work for a living, and the poor girl isn't liking that at all. Neither, come to think of it, are the stepfamily."
"They've made this Cinderella a servant, I presume? That's the usual case, isn't it."
"Correct. And the girl is having rather a hard time of it. She wished that she could get out of her mess while looking at a royal coach." she sighed. "You know what that means."
I nodded. "She has to marry a royal."
"Correct again. The prince of her kingdom, no less, as he was in the coach when she wished. I do wish they would watch where they wish, princes are always so hard to work with. They're either very clever or very thick, and never easy to manipulate."
I nodded, biting my lower lip. This was going to be a difficult job.
"Luckily, however, that prince is unmarried and unbetrothed, which will make our job so much easier. Betrothed are the worst. There usually ends up being a great big war if the prince says he doesn't want to marry the princess of wherever, the princess's father always takes offense."
"I know." I sighed "We had an entire class devoted to breaking off engagements."
"I know. I had to take it when I was in school. Awful thing, it was." she shook her head.
"So where does this Cinderella live?" I asked.
"About a mile east of Lillie Lake. It's the only house for a couple miles."
"That shouldn't be too hard to find. I think I might have seen it before. A big stone house, ivy crawling up the walls?"
"That's the one."
"Good. When do I start?"
"Tomorrow. Show up here at 9:00 a.m., and I'll give you all the necessary papers. Also, here is a basic summary of the situation for you to review." She handed me a couple of papers stapled together. I noticed, not feeling too surprised, that they were light purple.
"Thank you." I said, standing up.
She stood also, and looked at me closely.
"What?" I asked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
She shrugged. "Nothing. You just really like that phrase, don't you? That's not necessarily a bad thing." she added.
I liked her. She was odd, but I liked her.