The days passed. I checked up on Cinderella every day. She had taken my
advice to heart, apparently, and had begun sewing with zeal. Anya
continually pestered her about why she had suddenly decided to lift a
needle and help herself. Mostly for the entertainment of it --- Cinderella
was rather comical in her aloofness and everlasting "I cannot say, 'tis Top
Secret" replies.
Anya's gown was also done, and looked beautiful on her. Lydia had finished hers as well, and the result was stunning.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the prince falls in love with HER," I thought, as I watched her swirl in front of the mirror to see how it looked.
And Cinderella toiled on. Finally, after five days after I had appeared (a day which I marked carefully in my Project Log) her gown was completed. It fit her well, and looked quite nice --- if you like all those huge clouds of pink. Never mind, they were in style (for who knows what reason) and she looked the princess that she just KNEW she was.
One day, the day before Cinderella's gown was completed, I arrived at her home just in time to see Sylvia arrive at her gate --- on the arm of a very handsome young man. There was a faint odor of flowers (roses, I thought) hanging about them, and when you got close, the far-off sound of violins. Somebody's in love! rang a sing-song voice in my head. I told it, rather sharply, to be quiet, but the image of Sylvia and her suitor remained in my mind, and I decided that once this Cinderella case was wrapped up, I would do something for this girl...
* * * * *
"Your Highness," said Ferdinand, councilor to Prince Charming. He bowed low in front of the couch where the prince was lounging.
"What can I do for you, Ferdinand?" asked the prince lazily, slowly sitting up.
"Your Highness," Ferdinand said again, "The ballroom is ready for Your Highness's inspection and approval."
"Oh." The prince stood up, looking rather disappointed that he had to leave his utterly relaxed position for something as trivial as the ballroom.
I flew down onto a balcony which had been added recently at the order of Charming. It was bedecked with roses, and the smell made one rather faint. Perfect, lightheadedness is always good for a girl when you want her to fall in love at first sight. Not that Cinderella would need any help. A glass door was opened into the ballroom, and I quickly went through it.
The ballroom was, like the rest of the palace, gold and white. In this case though, mostly gold. And it was enormous.
A tall domed ceiling stretched up, looking far higher than it had looked from the outside. I was slightly puzzled by this until I saw an brand name for one of the better magical expansion merchandisers carved in a corner of the ceiling. Attached into the ceiling at artistic intervals were long golden chains, which led down to chandeliers hanging at different heights, some high enough to illuminate the ceiling quite well, and some low enough that they would be only ten or so feet from the head of a short person (such as myself) standing in the room.
The walls were gold, large circular gold framed mirrors attached to the wall every fifteen feet or so. Pillars helped hold the roof up, or perhaps they were there only for decoration, I wasn't sure.
While I was looking around, the prince and his counselor entered through a pair of large golden doors with an impressive white and gold coat of arms on them. They came to the middle of the room and began speaking. I edged closer, invisible as usual.
"What do you think, sire?" Ferdinand was asking. "A new coat of gold leaf has been applied everywhere it was needed, five rose-covered balconies have been added, the mirrors have, for the most part, been replaced, and the spell on the ceiling has been updated."
"Lovely," said the prince, looking around and seeming rather please. Then his face fell. "What's the matter with that mirror?"
"What mirror, sire?" asked Ferdinand, looking worried.
"That one," said the prince, pointing. Ferdinand rushed over to the mirror he had pointed at, and studied it carefully.
"Nothing, sire."
"No, there's something wrong, I'm certain of it." He hurried over as well, looked at the mirror, and gasped melodramatically.
"Look, there!" he gasped, lifting a finger and resting it on the mirror's frame. Ferdinand peered closely at it, then stepped back as if he had been stung. I quickly flew over to where they were and looked at the mirror. And, heaven forbid, there was a spot of wood showing through the gold leaf. Wood which was nearly the color of the leaf, but still, a SPOT OF WOOD!
Ferdinand quickly pulled out a whistle and gave three long blasts on it. I flinched --- I was standing right next to him.
As soon as Ferdinand lowered the whistle, there was the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. The door burst open, and four burly men, all wearing a uniform of white with red trim rushed in. Ferdinand told them, in a very low voice, about the calamity. They nodded and quickly removed the mirror from the wall and disappeared.
I shook my head in disbelief. This was really, truly frightening.
But I knew one thing.
Cinderella would love living here.
Anya's gown was also done, and looked beautiful on her. Lydia had finished hers as well, and the result was stunning.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the prince falls in love with HER," I thought, as I watched her swirl in front of the mirror to see how it looked.
And Cinderella toiled on. Finally, after five days after I had appeared (a day which I marked carefully in my Project Log) her gown was completed. It fit her well, and looked quite nice --- if you like all those huge clouds of pink. Never mind, they were in style (for who knows what reason) and she looked the princess that she just KNEW she was.
One day, the day before Cinderella's gown was completed, I arrived at her home just in time to see Sylvia arrive at her gate --- on the arm of a very handsome young man. There was a faint odor of flowers (roses, I thought) hanging about them, and when you got close, the far-off sound of violins. Somebody's in love! rang a sing-song voice in my head. I told it, rather sharply, to be quiet, but the image of Sylvia and her suitor remained in my mind, and I decided that once this Cinderella case was wrapped up, I would do something for this girl...
* * * * *
"Your Highness," said Ferdinand, councilor to Prince Charming. He bowed low in front of the couch where the prince was lounging.
"What can I do for you, Ferdinand?" asked the prince lazily, slowly sitting up.
"Your Highness," Ferdinand said again, "The ballroom is ready for Your Highness's inspection and approval."
"Oh." The prince stood up, looking rather disappointed that he had to leave his utterly relaxed position for something as trivial as the ballroom.
I flew down onto a balcony which had been added recently at the order of Charming. It was bedecked with roses, and the smell made one rather faint. Perfect, lightheadedness is always good for a girl when you want her to fall in love at first sight. Not that Cinderella would need any help. A glass door was opened into the ballroom, and I quickly went through it.
The ballroom was, like the rest of the palace, gold and white. In this case though, mostly gold. And it was enormous.
A tall domed ceiling stretched up, looking far higher than it had looked from the outside. I was slightly puzzled by this until I saw an brand name for one of the better magical expansion merchandisers carved in a corner of the ceiling. Attached into the ceiling at artistic intervals were long golden chains, which led down to chandeliers hanging at different heights, some high enough to illuminate the ceiling quite well, and some low enough that they would be only ten or so feet from the head of a short person (such as myself) standing in the room.
The walls were gold, large circular gold framed mirrors attached to the wall every fifteen feet or so. Pillars helped hold the roof up, or perhaps they were there only for decoration, I wasn't sure.
While I was looking around, the prince and his counselor entered through a pair of large golden doors with an impressive white and gold coat of arms on them. They came to the middle of the room and began speaking. I edged closer, invisible as usual.
"What do you think, sire?" Ferdinand was asking. "A new coat of gold leaf has been applied everywhere it was needed, five rose-covered balconies have been added, the mirrors have, for the most part, been replaced, and the spell on the ceiling has been updated."
"Lovely," said the prince, looking around and seeming rather please. Then his face fell. "What's the matter with that mirror?"
"What mirror, sire?" asked Ferdinand, looking worried.
"That one," said the prince, pointing. Ferdinand rushed over to the mirror he had pointed at, and studied it carefully.
"Nothing, sire."
"No, there's something wrong, I'm certain of it." He hurried over as well, looked at the mirror, and gasped melodramatically.
"Look, there!" he gasped, lifting a finger and resting it on the mirror's frame. Ferdinand peered closely at it, then stepped back as if he had been stung. I quickly flew over to where they were and looked at the mirror. And, heaven forbid, there was a spot of wood showing through the gold leaf. Wood which was nearly the color of the leaf, but still, a SPOT OF WOOD!
Ferdinand quickly pulled out a whistle and gave three long blasts on it. I flinched --- I was standing right next to him.
As soon as Ferdinand lowered the whistle, there was the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. The door burst open, and four burly men, all wearing a uniform of white with red trim rushed in. Ferdinand told them, in a very low voice, about the calamity. They nodded and quickly removed the mirror from the wall and disappeared.
I shook my head in disbelief. This was really, truly frightening.
But I knew one thing.
Cinderella would love living here.