So, I had seen the stepsisters, where was the stepmother? I flew from
window to window, trying to find her. I really needed to get a searching
device. This was a big house, and who knew how many big houses I'd have to
search through during my lifetime?
Bedroom... bedroom... bathroom... storage room... another bedroom. This was a big house. Sitting room... yes! That had to be the "evil stepmother". But she didn't look evil. Soft chestnut curls peeked out of an embroidered handkerchief tied around her hair. Her eyes were big and brown, framed by long black lashes. She was beautiful, but not evil-stepmother-stunning. I liked her. That was bad. She was supposed to be an enemy, as were her two daughters. But I liked them all... in fact, the only one I didn't like was my client.
That was very bad.
She was sewing in a padded wooden rocking chair, her long black dress grazing the ground gently as it moved. Her dress was mourning black, not the evil stepmother black that was one of the trademarks of evil stepmothers (the ones who liked to either eat their stepchildren, kidnap them, or sell them as slaves). She smiled softly as she sewed, lost in thought.
There was a soft knocking at the door.
"Come in." said the stepmother. Her voice was strong, but soft, and sweet as honey.
Anya came inside, and closed to door behind her.
"Hello, dear." said the Stepmother. "What's wrong, you look upset about something."
"The usual." Anya replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Cinderella."
"What was she doing now?" the Stepmother asked resignedly.
"Stalling while bringing in the water, it's too hard for her poor aching back." she said sarcastically. "Two, talking badly about you, and three, being a general spoilt brat."
"I know she's hard. I know she won't work, I know she talks badly about everybody, me in particular, and I know she's hard to get along with. But we all need to try to get along with her better. Even make friends with her, if we can."
Anya snorted.
"I know she's never liked any of us. What can you expect? She was very rich, happily living with her father, then we came along. Thomas and I fell in love and got married. Suddenly she was no longer the sole object of her father's attention, and that must have been very hard for her. Then Thomas died ---" her voice broke a little "--- and she, of course, had a difficult time with that. Not to mention her name... that's none of my business." she reprimanded herself. "Though you have to admit it is an odd one."
"But what are we going to do about her?" Anya asked.
"Just live with her. She's almost sixteen, she'll move out eventually. She'll probably get married soon, actually, if she can find a man worthy of her." the stepmother said. "Or her beauty." she added thoughtfully. "I don't think there's a man on the face of the earth worthy of her. Except a prince, maybe, and I doubt she'll get to marry one of those." Anya sighed.
"Someone rich enough for her, then." said Sylvia from the doorway where she had just appeared. "Money is worthy of her."
"How do you do that?" asked Anya. "Appear so quietly?"
"It's one of the things Sorceress Gildiana taught me. She's a very good teacher."
"Can she teach you how to get a snobby golden-headed beautiful maiden out of our lives?"
"Anya!" said her mother, sounding shocked.
"Sorry. But I'm going to go crazy if she doesn't... oh, I don't know... go away! I can't stand her!" Anya said, sounding very frustrated. "I don't understand how you two can always keep your cool with her, I can't!"
"Could it have something to do with the fact that you were born impatient, and haven't changed a bit since then?" Sylvia asked innocently.
"Oh, you be quiet." Anya said. She was grinning.
"Just put up with her, I'll see if I can get ahold of a fairy godmother agency and see if I can get her a godmother. Maybe that way she'll be able to find a true love or true happiness away from here." said the stepmother.
"And if that doesn't work we can stick her in an enchanted palace or something so she has to break the spell and marry the prince or enchanter who lives there." said Sylvia. "I heard of one about a days travel from here, there's a prince enchanted to become a Beast. The spell can only be broken if the girl learns to love him... she could be gone for quite a while."
"No." said Anya mournfully. "She'd get rescued by some questing hero."
"You're probably right." Sylvia agreed. "We'll go with Mother's plan, and if that doesn't work... well, we'll just have to marry her off."
The Stepmother laughed and shook her head. "You know, if someone were to hear us, they'd probably think we were trying to do her in. You know, the 'evil stepfamily.'"
She was wrong. I was absolutely and completely on their side.
Bedroom... bedroom... bathroom... storage room... another bedroom. This was a big house. Sitting room... yes! That had to be the "evil stepmother". But she didn't look evil. Soft chestnut curls peeked out of an embroidered handkerchief tied around her hair. Her eyes were big and brown, framed by long black lashes. She was beautiful, but not evil-stepmother-stunning. I liked her. That was bad. She was supposed to be an enemy, as were her two daughters. But I liked them all... in fact, the only one I didn't like was my client.
That was very bad.
She was sewing in a padded wooden rocking chair, her long black dress grazing the ground gently as it moved. Her dress was mourning black, not the evil stepmother black that was one of the trademarks of evil stepmothers (the ones who liked to either eat their stepchildren, kidnap them, or sell them as slaves). She smiled softly as she sewed, lost in thought.
There was a soft knocking at the door.
"Come in." said the stepmother. Her voice was strong, but soft, and sweet as honey.
Anya came inside, and closed to door behind her.
"Hello, dear." said the Stepmother. "What's wrong, you look upset about something."
"The usual." Anya replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Cinderella."
"What was she doing now?" the Stepmother asked resignedly.
"Stalling while bringing in the water, it's too hard for her poor aching back." she said sarcastically. "Two, talking badly about you, and three, being a general spoilt brat."
"I know she's hard. I know she won't work, I know she talks badly about everybody, me in particular, and I know she's hard to get along with. But we all need to try to get along with her better. Even make friends with her, if we can."
Anya snorted.
"I know she's never liked any of us. What can you expect? She was very rich, happily living with her father, then we came along. Thomas and I fell in love and got married. Suddenly she was no longer the sole object of her father's attention, and that must have been very hard for her. Then Thomas died ---" her voice broke a little "--- and she, of course, had a difficult time with that. Not to mention her name... that's none of my business." she reprimanded herself. "Though you have to admit it is an odd one."
"But what are we going to do about her?" Anya asked.
"Just live with her. She's almost sixteen, she'll move out eventually. She'll probably get married soon, actually, if she can find a man worthy of her." the stepmother said. "Or her beauty." she added thoughtfully. "I don't think there's a man on the face of the earth worthy of her. Except a prince, maybe, and I doubt she'll get to marry one of those." Anya sighed.
"Someone rich enough for her, then." said Sylvia from the doorway where she had just appeared. "Money is worthy of her."
"How do you do that?" asked Anya. "Appear so quietly?"
"It's one of the things Sorceress Gildiana taught me. She's a very good teacher."
"Can she teach you how to get a snobby golden-headed beautiful maiden out of our lives?"
"Anya!" said her mother, sounding shocked.
"Sorry. But I'm going to go crazy if she doesn't... oh, I don't know... go away! I can't stand her!" Anya said, sounding very frustrated. "I don't understand how you two can always keep your cool with her, I can't!"
"Could it have something to do with the fact that you were born impatient, and haven't changed a bit since then?" Sylvia asked innocently.
"Oh, you be quiet." Anya said. She was grinning.
"Just put up with her, I'll see if I can get ahold of a fairy godmother agency and see if I can get her a godmother. Maybe that way she'll be able to find a true love or true happiness away from here." said the stepmother.
"And if that doesn't work we can stick her in an enchanted palace or something so she has to break the spell and marry the prince or enchanter who lives there." said Sylvia. "I heard of one about a days travel from here, there's a prince enchanted to become a Beast. The spell can only be broken if the girl learns to love him... she could be gone for quite a while."
"No." said Anya mournfully. "She'd get rescued by some questing hero."
"You're probably right." Sylvia agreed. "We'll go with Mother's plan, and if that doesn't work... well, we'll just have to marry her off."
The Stepmother laughed and shook her head. "You know, if someone were to hear us, they'd probably think we were trying to do her in. You know, the 'evil stepfamily.'"
She was wrong. I was absolutely and completely on their side.