Three days later, at around noon, I dressed myself in my magnificent new
costume, adorned myself with an excess of glitter and jewelry, polished my
wand, put on a magnificent pair of golden wings, and headed to the home of
Cinderella. I was invisible, as it most likely would have been a hassle to
deal with anyone who saw me in full garb. Without the costume, I was left
alone, but the second you strap on wings or a ball gown... well, better
just to avoid that potential mess.
Cinderella was sitting in the parlor, embroidering on a bit of silk. Embroidering silk and whining tended to be her only activities. I shook my head, and began to think about how best to make my entrance. I should have set up a quick transport spell, but too late for that. My only real options seemed to be going down the chimney, through the window or through the door. Certainly not the chimney. Maybe Saint Nicholas enjoyed that, but not me. The window was too small for me to get through without ruining my skirts and making a fool of myself. I could call her out into the garden... yes, if I wanted all the birds from miles around running and telling this or that poor beggar boy who fed them crumbs that there was a fairy godmother in an easily accessible area. I think not.
Which left the door. How dull. Oh, well, that was my only option and like it or not, I was going to use it. How embarrassing.
I flew down to the door, scolding myself that I hadn't given this a thought before. I pulled the chain that rang to doorbell. It tinkled, and I pulled out my wand. I was still invisible, ready to pop back into view as soon as Cinderella opened the door. I'd messed this up so far, and if I had to use the door, I was going to add at least a little excitement to it.
There was a dainty pattering of feet from within, and the door creaked open. Cinderella peeked timidly out, and looked around, confused at seeing no one there. I took a deep breath, and...
CLANG!
Ouch, I was aiming for a dainty tinkle, not the entire cymbal section of the Godmother Academy Sound Effects crew.
Glitter burst out of my wand, and I appeared in a shower of silver. Cinderella's eyes widened.
"Good day, milady," I said, trying to sound as if I hadn't just blown both of our eardrums out.
"G-good day," Cinderella stammered. "Wh-who are you?"
"Your fairy godmother," I announced grandly. "I am here about the ball. Might I come in?"
"Oh, of course!" Cinderella gushed. "My fairy godmother, truly? I hadn't any idea I HAD a godmother, let alone a FAIRY one! Please, come into the parlor, sit down," she bubbled, leading me down the hall and into the parlor, where she had been sewing moments before.
"ARE you comfortable?" she cooed once I had been properly seated. I smiled and nodded.
"Yes, thank you, dear."
"Would you care for a cup of tea, perhaps?" she asked hopefully. I smiled again and said, "Yes, that would be lovely."
Cinderella looked expectantly at me. After an awkward silence she said, "Well, go ahead, make some tea." I raised my eyebrows at her.
"With your WAND," she said, as though I must be dim-witted to have not realized that. I blinked a couple of times, then fixed a dazzling smile back in place, and silkily said, "Oh, of course, dear."
"I want raspberry tea," Cinderella said. I nodded.
"Of course, dear."
This 'dear'ing was rather annoying, but it was almost a requisite for working with a client. Freshman material, to be sure, but still...
I magicked a small table with a lace tablecloth in between our chairs, complete with a shiny pink teapot, dainty little pink cups on saucers, a sugar bowl, and a small plate of blueberry muffins.
"Sugar?" I asked politely.
"Yes please," she said daintily. "Two spoonfuls."
I measured the spoonfuls into her cup, then handed it carefully over to her. She sipped daintily. I spooned a little sugar into my own cup and stirred it absently, watching Cinderella. Finally I spoke.
"So, dear, I am here to help you get to the ball. It is in one week, and you seem to be having some problems," I ventured.
"Indeed," said mourned Cinderella dramatically. "I am being forced to attend this ball not in a new gown, but a very old one, which was previously owned my someone else!"
Apparently this was a sin beyond all comparison.
"Yes, I'm aware of the problem," I mused, sipping my tea. "I have seen the gown---"
"How?" Cinderella cut in.
"Confidential information, dear," I said amiably. "I understand that you haven't taken it in yet."
"I! I have to sew my own clothing!" cried Cinderella passionately. "Can you imagine? The embarrassment! The HUMILIATION! It's DEGRADING!"
Did I say all a sin beyond all comparison? Try all COMPREHENSION.
"Well, dear, people all over the country sew their own clothing every day," I said patiently.
"SERVANTS do! I am not a servant! I am of NOBLE BLOOD!"
What? Her papers hadn't mentioned that.
"Noble blood, dear?" I asked, hoping she would elaborate a bit.
"Well, not noble BLOOD, exactly," she admitted grandly. "But inside, I am every bit a princess!"
She was right. At least if you were measuring royalty by Prince Charming the Stupid.
"I'm even BEAUTIFUL!" she added.
"And humble" I muttered silently. Then aloud, "Well, dear, perhaps this once you could compromise? You sew the gown, and... you get to get out of the carriage first when you get to the palace?" I asked hopefully. It was pathetic, I know, but I wanted to come up with something quickly that wouldn't trouble the stepfamily, and Cinderella was so dense she just may go with it...
"Maybe," she said thoughtfully. "What about I get to get out first, AND get escorted in by my own footman?"
"What a good idea!" I said enthusiastically. Cinderella looked smug.
"Okay, then," I said briskly. Cinderella stared at me. "Can fairy godmothers say things like 'okay'?" she asked skeptically. Oops. "Of course," I lied. In truth, we were supposed to have flowery speech, and never say anything like 'okay'. It sounds too modern, I suppose. I plastered on yet another false smile.
"So you will sew your dress if you get to get out of the carriage first, and get your own footman?" I asked hopefully. She nodded mournfully. "I suppose so."
"Good!" I said, maybe a with a little too much enthusiasm. Cinderella gave me another odd look. I quickly began speaking again.
"You do wish to marry the prince, don't you, child?" I asked. 'Child' sounded even worse than 'dear'. Not to mention I wasn't more than maybe five years older than her.
"Of cour-" Cinderella started cooing, then stopped and got a look of horror on her face.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Listen!" she hissed. I held still and listened for whatever she had heard. Footsteps. Humming. One of the family was home.
"You must go!" Cinderella whispered dramatically. And much as I didn't want to admit it, she was right. One of the most important rules about being a fairy godmother is to let as few people as possible know that you are working on a case that pertains to them, and 'evil' stepfamilies would most certainly be included in that. "Don't tell anyone about me," I said softly. "And keep sewing!"
And I disappeared with a wave of my wand, taking the tea table with me, but leaving Cinderella with the muffin she had in her hand. Just seconds after, Anya came into the parlor. I slipped out through the open door. As I left, I heard Anya exclaim, "What are you doing? You're not supposed to eat in here. As a matter of fact, you're supposed to be sweeping the hall. Not that you'd ever raise a finger to help anyone, let alone us..."
And I had to smile in spite of myself.
Cinderella was sitting in the parlor, embroidering on a bit of silk. Embroidering silk and whining tended to be her only activities. I shook my head, and began to think about how best to make my entrance. I should have set up a quick transport spell, but too late for that. My only real options seemed to be going down the chimney, through the window or through the door. Certainly not the chimney. Maybe Saint Nicholas enjoyed that, but not me. The window was too small for me to get through without ruining my skirts and making a fool of myself. I could call her out into the garden... yes, if I wanted all the birds from miles around running and telling this or that poor beggar boy who fed them crumbs that there was a fairy godmother in an easily accessible area. I think not.
Which left the door. How dull. Oh, well, that was my only option and like it or not, I was going to use it. How embarrassing.
I flew down to the door, scolding myself that I hadn't given this a thought before. I pulled the chain that rang to doorbell. It tinkled, and I pulled out my wand. I was still invisible, ready to pop back into view as soon as Cinderella opened the door. I'd messed this up so far, and if I had to use the door, I was going to add at least a little excitement to it.
There was a dainty pattering of feet from within, and the door creaked open. Cinderella peeked timidly out, and looked around, confused at seeing no one there. I took a deep breath, and...
CLANG!
Ouch, I was aiming for a dainty tinkle, not the entire cymbal section of the Godmother Academy Sound Effects crew.
Glitter burst out of my wand, and I appeared in a shower of silver. Cinderella's eyes widened.
"Good day, milady," I said, trying to sound as if I hadn't just blown both of our eardrums out.
"G-good day," Cinderella stammered. "Wh-who are you?"
"Your fairy godmother," I announced grandly. "I am here about the ball. Might I come in?"
"Oh, of course!" Cinderella gushed. "My fairy godmother, truly? I hadn't any idea I HAD a godmother, let alone a FAIRY one! Please, come into the parlor, sit down," she bubbled, leading me down the hall and into the parlor, where she had been sewing moments before.
"ARE you comfortable?" she cooed once I had been properly seated. I smiled and nodded.
"Yes, thank you, dear."
"Would you care for a cup of tea, perhaps?" she asked hopefully. I smiled again and said, "Yes, that would be lovely."
Cinderella looked expectantly at me. After an awkward silence she said, "Well, go ahead, make some tea." I raised my eyebrows at her.
"With your WAND," she said, as though I must be dim-witted to have not realized that. I blinked a couple of times, then fixed a dazzling smile back in place, and silkily said, "Oh, of course, dear."
"I want raspberry tea," Cinderella said. I nodded.
"Of course, dear."
This 'dear'ing was rather annoying, but it was almost a requisite for working with a client. Freshman material, to be sure, but still...
I magicked a small table with a lace tablecloth in between our chairs, complete with a shiny pink teapot, dainty little pink cups on saucers, a sugar bowl, and a small plate of blueberry muffins.
"Sugar?" I asked politely.
"Yes please," she said daintily. "Two spoonfuls."
I measured the spoonfuls into her cup, then handed it carefully over to her. She sipped daintily. I spooned a little sugar into my own cup and stirred it absently, watching Cinderella. Finally I spoke.
"So, dear, I am here to help you get to the ball. It is in one week, and you seem to be having some problems," I ventured.
"Indeed," said mourned Cinderella dramatically. "I am being forced to attend this ball not in a new gown, but a very old one, which was previously owned my someone else!"
Apparently this was a sin beyond all comparison.
"Yes, I'm aware of the problem," I mused, sipping my tea. "I have seen the gown---"
"How?" Cinderella cut in.
"Confidential information, dear," I said amiably. "I understand that you haven't taken it in yet."
"I! I have to sew my own clothing!" cried Cinderella passionately. "Can you imagine? The embarrassment! The HUMILIATION! It's DEGRADING!"
Did I say all a sin beyond all comparison? Try all COMPREHENSION.
"Well, dear, people all over the country sew their own clothing every day," I said patiently.
"SERVANTS do! I am not a servant! I am of NOBLE BLOOD!"
What? Her papers hadn't mentioned that.
"Noble blood, dear?" I asked, hoping she would elaborate a bit.
"Well, not noble BLOOD, exactly," she admitted grandly. "But inside, I am every bit a princess!"
She was right. At least if you were measuring royalty by Prince Charming the Stupid.
"I'm even BEAUTIFUL!" she added.
"And humble" I muttered silently. Then aloud, "Well, dear, perhaps this once you could compromise? You sew the gown, and... you get to get out of the carriage first when you get to the palace?" I asked hopefully. It was pathetic, I know, but I wanted to come up with something quickly that wouldn't trouble the stepfamily, and Cinderella was so dense she just may go with it...
"Maybe," she said thoughtfully. "What about I get to get out first, AND get escorted in by my own footman?"
"What a good idea!" I said enthusiastically. Cinderella looked smug.
"Okay, then," I said briskly. Cinderella stared at me. "Can fairy godmothers say things like 'okay'?" she asked skeptically. Oops. "Of course," I lied. In truth, we were supposed to have flowery speech, and never say anything like 'okay'. It sounds too modern, I suppose. I plastered on yet another false smile.
"So you will sew your dress if you get to get out of the carriage first, and get your own footman?" I asked hopefully. She nodded mournfully. "I suppose so."
"Good!" I said, maybe a with a little too much enthusiasm. Cinderella gave me another odd look. I quickly began speaking again.
"You do wish to marry the prince, don't you, child?" I asked. 'Child' sounded even worse than 'dear'. Not to mention I wasn't more than maybe five years older than her.
"Of cour-" Cinderella started cooing, then stopped and got a look of horror on her face.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Listen!" she hissed. I held still and listened for whatever she had heard. Footsteps. Humming. One of the family was home.
"You must go!" Cinderella whispered dramatically. And much as I didn't want to admit it, she was right. One of the most important rules about being a fairy godmother is to let as few people as possible know that you are working on a case that pertains to them, and 'evil' stepfamilies would most certainly be included in that. "Don't tell anyone about me," I said softly. "And keep sewing!"
And I disappeared with a wave of my wand, taking the tea table with me, but leaving Cinderella with the muffin she had in her hand. Just seconds after, Anya came into the parlor. I slipped out through the open door. As I left, I heard Anya exclaim, "What are you doing? You're not supposed to eat in here. As a matter of fact, you're supposed to be sweeping the hall. Not that you'd ever raise a finger to help anyone, let alone us..."
And I had to smile in spite of myself.