A/N: Well, well, well. It certainly has been a long time since my last
update, hasn't it? Sorry! I've had an incredibly busy summer, and now
school is starting, which means I'm going to be very busy for a while. (I
have a rather unique school situation, and I'm studying like mad right
now!) So updates won't be too frequent for a while, though I will certainly
try!
Also, I have a few Thank Yous to give out, to a couple of my reviewers:
Arwen Telyn --- Thank you one hundred times one hundred for an honest and
constructive review! (Esp. when I totally agree with you --- Geff's "Gift"
was a bit convenient... but then, I'm making this up as I go along. LOL!)
Outlaw Eris --- That was a wonderful review you gave me, it was lovely and
long, and I love it when people tell me exactly what they do/don't like.
And no, Geff's not getting into romance anytime soon... he's barely 11.
Good idea for a sequel, though... no, back, plot bunnies! Back! BACK!!!
Hee, hee.
*****
The music was playing, Cinderella and the prince were still dancing, there were still HOURS left to go, and I was floating on air.
Clarabelle and I were standing by the food table, sipping punch out of golden goblets and discussing wedding plans. For we were completely sure there would be a wedding very soon, judging by the way Cinderella and the prince were gazing into one another's eyes. The prince, astonishingly enough, was in such a daze that he had completely forgotten about his hourly costume changes, and it had been several hours since Cinderella had made her grand entrance.
"A long silk train, of course," Clarabelle was saying, "with lots of pearls sewn into it. Shouldn't be too hard to make, I'll help you if you need it. What kind of flowers, do you think?"
"Knowing Cinderella, she'll either choose white lilies or roses. Most likely roses." I bit my lip thoughtfully.
"Mmm-hmm. I think you're right. That will be perfect. I think you'll want to shade the dress to match the flowers, won't you?"
"Definitely."
"What about the crowns?"
"Something big, heavy, and royal for the prince, studded with big pearls, and a lacy gold tiara for Cinderella, also with pearls, and a white gauzy veil attached to the back," I said promptly.
"Any other jewelry? Well, that's a stupid question. WHAT other jewelry?"
"All gold and pearls. Lots of it. I personally would go for just a chain or two, but Cinderella's going to want as much as she can hold up."
"Typical."
"I know. They tend to be like that, don't they?"
"Yes. It's a pity sometimes, but it does make them so much easier to work with, doesn't it? Bribery, that sort of thing."
I nodded my agreement as I took another drink.
"What time is it?" I asked. Hopefully I could get Cinderella out onto the terrace, or the gardens, where it was more romantic. A kiss, maybe a proposal...
"Ten thirty."
"Good. That gives me plenty of time."
"That gives you less than two hours," Clarabelle corrected.
"WHAT?" I exclaimed spewing out a mouthful of the red punch. Several ladies with tall white wigs gave me cold glares. I ignored them, and stared incredulously at Clarabelle. There was something bad going on here...
"Didn't you hear?" she looked surprised. "Where have you been? First you didn't know about the no romantic magic rule, now this!"
"Now what?" I demanded.
"The prince is announcing his choice of a bride at midnight."
"Oh." That was a bit anticlimactic. I didn't know what I had been expecting, now it seemed to me that they would have had to pass a test or something, though I had no idea where that notion came from. Maybe it was Prince Paul and his pea trick that had made the news recently. "I'll be fine," I said, gesturing at the star-struck couple. "They're in love."
"Princes are fickle creatures," she said wisely. "If someone better than her comes along, she'll be tossed aside like a day old cabbage."
"No one is better than Cinderella," I said firmly. "LOOK at her."
"Look at everyone else," Clarabelle said, brushing aside a blonde curl as she gazed around the dance floor. Nothing seemed unusual to me, and I gave her a questioning look. "Look closer," she said. "They're pulling out their ammunition."
I did look closer, and after a moment, saw what she meant. Hopeful mammas were advising their daughters, fixing stray strands of hair, pulling bottles of lip ointment out of their handbags, and I saw that several ladies were sneakily going up the stairs and reappearing moments later looking much more attractive than they formerly had. A thought suddenly struck me, and I whirled around to face Clarabelle.
"They all want the prince!" I exclaimed. Clarabelle looked as though I had just fallen out of the sky.
"No," she gasped, in mock disbelief.
"No, no, don't be stupid. That's not what I meant. I'll bet you anything there are other fairy godmothers helping these girls!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah..." Clarabelle said, looking puzzled.
"I didn't realize that," I wailed. "Mrs. Pearl said she needed to marry a prince, but she didn't mention that other godmothers would be helping other girls with THIS prince! How many are there, do you think?"
"Poor thing. You really are behind, aren't you?" she asked sympathetically. "I heard that about twenty godmothers would be competing here. I thought you knew, everyone else does."
"No!" I wailed.
"Yes. Have another drink," she said, gently taking my goblet from me and refilling it. I swallowed the sweet liquid, concentrating completely on it, so I wouldn't start screaming and running around, hurling curses everywhere. Once it was gone, I set it on the table and pressed my hands against the white tablecloth, took a few deep breaths, then abruptly stood up straight, and swept off to one of the balconies. Clarabelle looked startled for a moment, then scurried after me.
"Celeste!" she scolded, once she was out on the balcony. "Don't do that." The perfume of the roses was overpowering, and the heady smell mixed with the cool air should have calmed me, but I was suddenly far too worked up. I was silent for a moment, then:
"Cinderella is GOING to win," I said dangerously, wheeling on Clarabelle. One of my hairpins flew out of my hair and clattered daintily on the stone floor. "She is GOING to do it. I have my future career, my reputation, and the chance of 50 Nectars resting upon it."
Clarabelle looked puzzled, but said nothing, obviously sensing my mood.
"Cinderella is GOING to win," I said again. "I don't care what it takes."
Clarabelle sighed heavily, then said:
"I'll help you." She squeaked as I suddenly threw my arms around her.
"Will you? Oh, that would be so good! Thank you thank you thank you!" I exclaimed, releasing her. She took a deep breath, then said "Anytime," in a slightly trembling voice. She looked extremely nervous, which was not surprising, considering the two mood swings I had gone through in the last ten minutes. First complete confidence, then total determination, and now I was going into energetic hyperactivity.
"HOW are we going to do it, though?" I said, my mind going a mile a minute. "We could disfigure everyone else, but that would take too much time, and we'd probably get in trouble. We can't enchant the prince to make him obey us, that's illegal. Rats." I paused for a moment, then said in a unintentionally horrible and sappy voice, "What if we knock him out, that way Cinderella can be the one he sees when he wakes up, bathing his forehead with a damp washcloth..."
"Celeste," Clarabelle said, looking as though I had lost my mind. I realized how stupid that sounded, and sighed.
"Well, if I can get Cinderella pretty enough, prettier than all those other girls... maybe if we can get them to kiss, that would be good! And her dress... maybe we could change her dress, he likes costume changes. And more makeup, she needs more makeup! Her hair could be redone, and we could give her a really glittering crown, and more jewelry. I don't have any though ---"
"I have a license to make the temporary stuff," Clarabelle interrupted.
"You do?" I exclaimed, I almost hugged her again, but refrained myself when she started talking.
"It will only last three hours, but that's okay, we only need about two."
"Okay. And what else does she need? Maybe she could give the prince some sort of gift, what does he like the most? Jewels, but I don't have any on me. Maybe he likes sweets? Never mind, that won't work. Cinderella could PROMISE to give him a surprise in a few days, that will give me extra time to worry about it. Now how do we get her without other people swarming him? Or maybe he should be swarmed, that way when Cinderella reappears, she'll be able to outshine them all."
"Sounds great," Clarabelle interrupted when I paused for breath. "Look, let's get started, we can worry about the details when we get to them, okay?"
"Okay," I said on a sharp puff of air. "Where is she?"
"Standing against the wall, waiting for the prince to bring her a glass of champagne."
"Okay. I just have to get her. We can do the work in a closet or something. Should she go back in down the stairs again?"
"No. Two grand entrances in one night is a little tacky."
"Yeah, you're right. Um... let's see... get Cinderella. Right." And I scurried back into the ballroom. I could hear Clarabelle's sigh as I left.
I stopped just inside the small entryway, and my eyes roved the room. I spotted Cinderella on one wall. She wasn't hard to find, that pink puffy skirt certainly stuck out. I tried to catch her eye, but gave up as I realized that she probably wouldn't see me through those thick, demurely lowered eyelashes. So, I marched over to her, grabbed her arm, and dragged her off to the balcony. Clarabelle looked as though she were barely repressing a grin.
"I... umph... I... what... are... you DOING?!" Cinderella said, trying to pull her arm away from me. "You're HURTING me!"
"What? Oh, sorry," I said, as I let go. "Okay, look, all the mothers and other godmothers here---"
"There are MORE of you?" Cinderella asked keenly.
"Yeah, and you'd better stay out of their way, they'll mess you up if they can. You're too strong of competition." She looked puzzled. "You're pretty," I translated with a sigh. "Anyways, you want this prince, and I want you to get him, but there's a lot of girls and mothers and godmothers here that want the same thing, so you're going to have to use all your cards and play hard."
"My cards?" she asked, brow furrowed.
"Make the prince fall in love with you. Throw yourself at him. Take him for a walk in the gardens, get him away from these other girls. I'll follow behind and do what I can to make him fall in love with you, just HURRY! Look, there he is, he's looking for you. Go, take him somewhere private, woo him, and don't let anyone interfere, got it? MY LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS."
Cinderella nodded, looking somewhat nervous.
"Okay... what do you do?" I demanded, pacing up and down in front of her.
"Take the prince to the gardens," she said, concentrating, "and MAKE him fall in love with me."
"Right, hon. YOU've got the power. Go for it!" I pushed her off to the doorway, a little harder than I meant to. She looked back once, and I made a shoving gesture, so she scurried off into the ballroom.
"Okay, Venus, help me out here," I murmured, watching her locate and head for the prince. Upon seeing him, her entire countenance had changed from the little feminine scurry she had been doing before to a docile panther kitten walk, if that could be managed. She looked like an ad for a magical makeover or modeling agency. Hey, that wasn't a bad idea, maybe... no, keep to the task at hand. Go, Cindy, go, I cheered silently. You can do this. She had reached the prince, and was now talking to him. Yes! They were heading out of the gold of the ballroom onto one of the balconies, I could see it from where I was standing. At the moment, it was deserted except for them. And it would stay that way.
I immediately headed for the balcony, skirting the many swaying skirts, and put a quick repellent charm on the archway. Anyone headed for it would immediately have a desire to dance or get a drink or some other activity away from this particular balcony. I quickly left, my own charm having a bit of an effect on me, and quietly went out to another balcony off to the side of theirs, then tapped myself, muttered an Invisibility spell, and flew over to them, landing softly on the smooth stone floor. Those roses were even worse over here. They were standing against the banister, gazing at one another, and I could hear the faintest violin solo in the background. Not what I was hoping for, but if I prodded it just right, I could probably get a whole orchestra going. Maybe. I tiptoed up to them, hoping to get an earful of what they were saying.
"Oh, Prince Charming," Cinderella said, in a disgustingly sappy voice. "You have the most handsome face I have ever been privileged to behold."
"Really?" asked the prince suavely. "Tell me about my face." He turned it slightly so Cinderella could get a better view.
I had to press a fist in my mouth to keep a laugh from bursting out. Cinderella, however, seemed to think this last remark was completely charming and batted her eyelashes up at him.
"Your eyes," she said dreamily, "are the exact color of the most expensive sapphires. You have a lovely handsome nose, straight and noble." I had never heard of a noble nose before. The boogers must be noble too. Noble boogers... that was a thought.
"Your lips," she went on, gazing at them, "are perfectly full and pink, and look like they would be very soft and nice to kiss..." She blinked at him, trying to convey the message. He obviously didn't get it.
"What about my hair?" he asked pompously. "My hair must be magnificent as well."
"Of course, it is, Your Majesty. It looks like it was spun from gold, and it is so shiny and smooth."
"What about my clothes? I have excellent taste in clothing, do I not?"
"Oh, Majesty, you do! I've never seen such fine..." I stopped listening, this was getting me nowhere.
A distraction from this self-esteem session would be most useful. The gardens was what I had mentioned earlier to her... I just had to get her to the gardens. They weren't far away, just a few yards away from the balcony. But there we no stairs down, and even if I managed to conjure some up without them noticing, I'd never get them down there without them seeing me.
I slumped down onto a bench. This was never going to work. I had tried, and I was just no good at this improvisational stuff, I just ran out of ideas too quickly. My eyes were suddenly burning, and I felt exhausted. I closed them tightly for a moment, then sighed and slouched down, leaning against the roses covering the balcony. A thorn pricked me in the back, and I leapt forward, scowling.
"Don't make that awful expression, dear," said a very loud female voice directly on my right. "It completely ruins your face, it's so unpleasant. And never lean against roses, they almost always have thorns, and thorns hurt, as a rule." I spun around to face her.
A tall, positively dazzling woman was sitting on the bench next to me, though I hadn't the faintest idea where she had come from. She was wearing a strange rose and gold garment made from one piece of fabric, with only thin twisted straps for sleeves, and several necklaces of long gold beads and pink gems. Her hair, a beautiful gold, was twisted up and curled, and light seemed to radiate from her incredibly gorgeous face.
"Who are you?" I asked, after staring stupidly for a moment. She laughed lightly.
"I'm Aphrodite, also known as Venus and the Goddess of Love. You called on me a moment ago, did you not?"
"I... what?" I stammered, rather loudly. I clapped a hand to my mouth, startled by the volume of my voice, but Cinderella and Charming hadn't heard me, or at any rate didn't turn around.
But APHRODITE?!
"Yes. You said something along the lines of 'Okay, Venus, help me out here'. Not the usual form for pleas for help, but nevertheless effective," she said with a wry smile.
"You have GOT to be kidding," I said after a moment of stunned silence.
"No, I'm not. If you don't really want my help, I'll be more than happy to mingle about here..." she said, eyebrows raised.
"No, no, no, that's okay," I said very quickly. "I would LOVE your help."
"That's what I thought," she said silkily. Then she turned businesslike. "Now, these two are soulmates, I can tell that just by looking at them. You wanted them into the flower gardens down there?"
I nodded.
"Very well." She turned to a corner of the balcony (the side which looked out over the flower gardens) and stared at it for a moment. I didn't notice any change, but she sat back, looking satisfied. I shot a puzzled look at her.
"Go look," she said. I tiptoed over to the place she had been staring at, and saw, to my surprise, that part of the formerly firm railing had turned into a small gate, covered with roses to fit in with the rest. Below it, a long, elegantly sweeping staircase led straight down over a hedge into the gardens. I clapped my hands together.
"It's perfect!"
"What else did you expect?" she asked with a glittering smile. "Now, I must go, but I have a little something for you to use." She reached into her dress and pulled out a small bow and pocket of arrows.
"These," she said, handing them to me, "belong to Cupid. You have permission to use them until midnight tonight, then they must be returned. He'll take care of that, they'll just disappear, so you needn't worry about it.
"Now, you have about 45 minutes left... make the best use of your time. Good luck!"
And before I could offer a word of thanks, she was gone. I blinked, and looked down at the bow in my hands. She was real, now I had to... what did I have to do? Lure them down the stairs into the garden, then figure out how this bow worked. All right.
I stood, and with my course of action firmly in mind, set about briskly to make Cinderella's... and of course, my... dreams come true. I snapped my fingers once, and out of nowhere, a huge gust of wind came flying past the prince and Cinderella. Her skirts swirled around her, and a few of her glittering hairthings flew out of her curls.
"Oh!" she exclaimed in a high, delicate voice. The prince --- oh joy --- wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the wind. It died down, and he released her.
"Goodness!" she said.
"We ought to get off this balcony," the prince said. "There may be another big breeze, and I don't want it to mess up my hair again."
"Of course, Highness. That is a truly wonderful idea."
"Like most of mine," he said modestly. "Come." He started towards the ballroom, but Cinderella stopped him.
"Let's go down into the gardens!" she said quickly. The eyelashes lowered again. "That is, if you don't mind, Highness. I simply wish to view your flowers, as I am sure they are the most beautiful in the whole of Arpathia!"
"Indeed they are. That is an excellent idea, milady. In fact, I shall be so kind as to GIVE you a flower!"
"Truly, Highness? Oh, you are SO generous!"
"I know. Come, down these stairs," he said, turning to the ones Venus had conjured a moment before. "I wonder which of my many servants was so good as to order these stairs put in, the other balconies don't have them," he added. "Though all of my servants are thoughtful. You can't HELP being thoughtful for a man like me."
"No, indeed, sire! You are surely the ep... epi.... epitimininny of perfection!"
I snorted silently. Epitimininny! But the prince as looking like he was impressed with her knowledge of such a large word, even if it wasn't actually a word.
"I suppose I am. No, I KNOW I am!" he said with a laugh, as though this were some witty joke. I didn't see the humor. "Let us go down, my love, and I shall show you my flowers. You are sure to be impressed."
"Indeed I shall be," agreed Cinderella with a ladylike sigh.
So the prince led her down into the gardens. They were a pretty sight, Cinderella sweeping down the elegant stairs, glittering like an enormous pink rose, on the prince's arm, his hair shining in the light from the ballroom above. I realized there was little light down in the gardens, only a few dim lanterns hanging on curved poles, and I flew past them all and added some brightness.
There was a large fountain in the first garden, a sort of courtyard enclosed in hedges. Flowers were planted in beds all along the hedges, and bits of moss grew up in between the cracks of the large flat stones that made up the floor.
"I don't like this moss," Charming said once they were down in the garden, pointing at it. "But my head gardener said I should keep it since it looks rustic. What do you think?"
Cinderella was silent. She obviously couldn't think of what the most pleasing answer would be.
"If you say you don't like it," said the prince, "I shall have it removed at once. If you do, I shall be noble and keep it, sacrificing my own desires for yours, which is the princely thing to do."
"I think it's... good," said Cinderella in a voice of mixed flirtation and uncertainty. "You may do the princely thing."
"Very well, my lady," said Charming grandly. "I shall!"
Then they were off strolling around the garden, the prince pointing out every flower, telling her all about how this one would only grow for a royal, how that one was imported from Dorelman, and was very expensive. Cinderella was the perfect princess, listening and gazing at the prince with adoring eyes. He, in turn, seemed infatuated with her. And I... I was bored out of my wits.
I tried to mentally communicate with Cinderella. Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him. But it didn't work, of course.
But I had Cupid's Bow. If I could figure out how to use it. I thought back to pictures I had seen, never having actually done archery myself. The arrows went up against the wood and leaned against the string, then you just let go and it would hit the target. So I mimicked the pose, took careful aim, and fired. The arrow dropped to the ground with a clatter. Just lovely. But if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Or more appropriately, I thought after the fifth try, you need to try and try and try and try and try and try again. So I did. On the seventh try the arrow actually flew, hitting a marble statue of some half-naked sprite. On the tenth try, the arrow actually got to the prince's feet. The eleventh flew over the hedges into who knew where, and at the thirteenth try, I was ready to give up. One last shot, then I was reappearing and threatening them both with major curses until I got an official engagement.
I took careful aim, and to my enormous surprise and satisfaction, the arrow flew straight and true.
Straight into the prince's heart.
*****
The music was playing, Cinderella and the prince were still dancing, there were still HOURS left to go, and I was floating on air.
Clarabelle and I were standing by the food table, sipping punch out of golden goblets and discussing wedding plans. For we were completely sure there would be a wedding very soon, judging by the way Cinderella and the prince were gazing into one another's eyes. The prince, astonishingly enough, was in such a daze that he had completely forgotten about his hourly costume changes, and it had been several hours since Cinderella had made her grand entrance.
"A long silk train, of course," Clarabelle was saying, "with lots of pearls sewn into it. Shouldn't be too hard to make, I'll help you if you need it. What kind of flowers, do you think?"
"Knowing Cinderella, she'll either choose white lilies or roses. Most likely roses." I bit my lip thoughtfully.
"Mmm-hmm. I think you're right. That will be perfect. I think you'll want to shade the dress to match the flowers, won't you?"
"Definitely."
"What about the crowns?"
"Something big, heavy, and royal for the prince, studded with big pearls, and a lacy gold tiara for Cinderella, also with pearls, and a white gauzy veil attached to the back," I said promptly.
"Any other jewelry? Well, that's a stupid question. WHAT other jewelry?"
"All gold and pearls. Lots of it. I personally would go for just a chain or two, but Cinderella's going to want as much as she can hold up."
"Typical."
"I know. They tend to be like that, don't they?"
"Yes. It's a pity sometimes, but it does make them so much easier to work with, doesn't it? Bribery, that sort of thing."
I nodded my agreement as I took another drink.
"What time is it?" I asked. Hopefully I could get Cinderella out onto the terrace, or the gardens, where it was more romantic. A kiss, maybe a proposal...
"Ten thirty."
"Good. That gives me plenty of time."
"That gives you less than two hours," Clarabelle corrected.
"WHAT?" I exclaimed spewing out a mouthful of the red punch. Several ladies with tall white wigs gave me cold glares. I ignored them, and stared incredulously at Clarabelle. There was something bad going on here...
"Didn't you hear?" she looked surprised. "Where have you been? First you didn't know about the no romantic magic rule, now this!"
"Now what?" I demanded.
"The prince is announcing his choice of a bride at midnight."
"Oh." That was a bit anticlimactic. I didn't know what I had been expecting, now it seemed to me that they would have had to pass a test or something, though I had no idea where that notion came from. Maybe it was Prince Paul and his pea trick that had made the news recently. "I'll be fine," I said, gesturing at the star-struck couple. "They're in love."
"Princes are fickle creatures," she said wisely. "If someone better than her comes along, she'll be tossed aside like a day old cabbage."
"No one is better than Cinderella," I said firmly. "LOOK at her."
"Look at everyone else," Clarabelle said, brushing aside a blonde curl as she gazed around the dance floor. Nothing seemed unusual to me, and I gave her a questioning look. "Look closer," she said. "They're pulling out their ammunition."
I did look closer, and after a moment, saw what she meant. Hopeful mammas were advising their daughters, fixing stray strands of hair, pulling bottles of lip ointment out of their handbags, and I saw that several ladies were sneakily going up the stairs and reappearing moments later looking much more attractive than they formerly had. A thought suddenly struck me, and I whirled around to face Clarabelle.
"They all want the prince!" I exclaimed. Clarabelle looked as though I had just fallen out of the sky.
"No," she gasped, in mock disbelief.
"No, no, don't be stupid. That's not what I meant. I'll bet you anything there are other fairy godmothers helping these girls!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah..." Clarabelle said, looking puzzled.
"I didn't realize that," I wailed. "Mrs. Pearl said she needed to marry a prince, but she didn't mention that other godmothers would be helping other girls with THIS prince! How many are there, do you think?"
"Poor thing. You really are behind, aren't you?" she asked sympathetically. "I heard that about twenty godmothers would be competing here. I thought you knew, everyone else does."
"No!" I wailed.
"Yes. Have another drink," she said, gently taking my goblet from me and refilling it. I swallowed the sweet liquid, concentrating completely on it, so I wouldn't start screaming and running around, hurling curses everywhere. Once it was gone, I set it on the table and pressed my hands against the white tablecloth, took a few deep breaths, then abruptly stood up straight, and swept off to one of the balconies. Clarabelle looked startled for a moment, then scurried after me.
"Celeste!" she scolded, once she was out on the balcony. "Don't do that." The perfume of the roses was overpowering, and the heady smell mixed with the cool air should have calmed me, but I was suddenly far too worked up. I was silent for a moment, then:
"Cinderella is GOING to win," I said dangerously, wheeling on Clarabelle. One of my hairpins flew out of my hair and clattered daintily on the stone floor. "She is GOING to do it. I have my future career, my reputation, and the chance of 50 Nectars resting upon it."
Clarabelle looked puzzled, but said nothing, obviously sensing my mood.
"Cinderella is GOING to win," I said again. "I don't care what it takes."
Clarabelle sighed heavily, then said:
"I'll help you." She squeaked as I suddenly threw my arms around her.
"Will you? Oh, that would be so good! Thank you thank you thank you!" I exclaimed, releasing her. She took a deep breath, then said "Anytime," in a slightly trembling voice. She looked extremely nervous, which was not surprising, considering the two mood swings I had gone through in the last ten minutes. First complete confidence, then total determination, and now I was going into energetic hyperactivity.
"HOW are we going to do it, though?" I said, my mind going a mile a minute. "We could disfigure everyone else, but that would take too much time, and we'd probably get in trouble. We can't enchant the prince to make him obey us, that's illegal. Rats." I paused for a moment, then said in a unintentionally horrible and sappy voice, "What if we knock him out, that way Cinderella can be the one he sees when he wakes up, bathing his forehead with a damp washcloth..."
"Celeste," Clarabelle said, looking as though I had lost my mind. I realized how stupid that sounded, and sighed.
"Well, if I can get Cinderella pretty enough, prettier than all those other girls... maybe if we can get them to kiss, that would be good! And her dress... maybe we could change her dress, he likes costume changes. And more makeup, she needs more makeup! Her hair could be redone, and we could give her a really glittering crown, and more jewelry. I don't have any though ---"
"I have a license to make the temporary stuff," Clarabelle interrupted.
"You do?" I exclaimed, I almost hugged her again, but refrained myself when she started talking.
"It will only last three hours, but that's okay, we only need about two."
"Okay. And what else does she need? Maybe she could give the prince some sort of gift, what does he like the most? Jewels, but I don't have any on me. Maybe he likes sweets? Never mind, that won't work. Cinderella could PROMISE to give him a surprise in a few days, that will give me extra time to worry about it. Now how do we get her without other people swarming him? Or maybe he should be swarmed, that way when Cinderella reappears, she'll be able to outshine them all."
"Sounds great," Clarabelle interrupted when I paused for breath. "Look, let's get started, we can worry about the details when we get to them, okay?"
"Okay," I said on a sharp puff of air. "Where is she?"
"Standing against the wall, waiting for the prince to bring her a glass of champagne."
"Okay. I just have to get her. We can do the work in a closet or something. Should she go back in down the stairs again?"
"No. Two grand entrances in one night is a little tacky."
"Yeah, you're right. Um... let's see... get Cinderella. Right." And I scurried back into the ballroom. I could hear Clarabelle's sigh as I left.
I stopped just inside the small entryway, and my eyes roved the room. I spotted Cinderella on one wall. She wasn't hard to find, that pink puffy skirt certainly stuck out. I tried to catch her eye, but gave up as I realized that she probably wouldn't see me through those thick, demurely lowered eyelashes. So, I marched over to her, grabbed her arm, and dragged her off to the balcony. Clarabelle looked as though she were barely repressing a grin.
"I... umph... I... what... are... you DOING?!" Cinderella said, trying to pull her arm away from me. "You're HURTING me!"
"What? Oh, sorry," I said, as I let go. "Okay, look, all the mothers and other godmothers here---"
"There are MORE of you?" Cinderella asked keenly.
"Yeah, and you'd better stay out of their way, they'll mess you up if they can. You're too strong of competition." She looked puzzled. "You're pretty," I translated with a sigh. "Anyways, you want this prince, and I want you to get him, but there's a lot of girls and mothers and godmothers here that want the same thing, so you're going to have to use all your cards and play hard."
"My cards?" she asked, brow furrowed.
"Make the prince fall in love with you. Throw yourself at him. Take him for a walk in the gardens, get him away from these other girls. I'll follow behind and do what I can to make him fall in love with you, just HURRY! Look, there he is, he's looking for you. Go, take him somewhere private, woo him, and don't let anyone interfere, got it? MY LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS."
Cinderella nodded, looking somewhat nervous.
"Okay... what do you do?" I demanded, pacing up and down in front of her.
"Take the prince to the gardens," she said, concentrating, "and MAKE him fall in love with me."
"Right, hon. YOU've got the power. Go for it!" I pushed her off to the doorway, a little harder than I meant to. She looked back once, and I made a shoving gesture, so she scurried off into the ballroom.
"Okay, Venus, help me out here," I murmured, watching her locate and head for the prince. Upon seeing him, her entire countenance had changed from the little feminine scurry she had been doing before to a docile panther kitten walk, if that could be managed. She looked like an ad for a magical makeover or modeling agency. Hey, that wasn't a bad idea, maybe... no, keep to the task at hand. Go, Cindy, go, I cheered silently. You can do this. She had reached the prince, and was now talking to him. Yes! They were heading out of the gold of the ballroom onto one of the balconies, I could see it from where I was standing. At the moment, it was deserted except for them. And it would stay that way.
I immediately headed for the balcony, skirting the many swaying skirts, and put a quick repellent charm on the archway. Anyone headed for it would immediately have a desire to dance or get a drink or some other activity away from this particular balcony. I quickly left, my own charm having a bit of an effect on me, and quietly went out to another balcony off to the side of theirs, then tapped myself, muttered an Invisibility spell, and flew over to them, landing softly on the smooth stone floor. Those roses were even worse over here. They were standing against the banister, gazing at one another, and I could hear the faintest violin solo in the background. Not what I was hoping for, but if I prodded it just right, I could probably get a whole orchestra going. Maybe. I tiptoed up to them, hoping to get an earful of what they were saying.
"Oh, Prince Charming," Cinderella said, in a disgustingly sappy voice. "You have the most handsome face I have ever been privileged to behold."
"Really?" asked the prince suavely. "Tell me about my face." He turned it slightly so Cinderella could get a better view.
I had to press a fist in my mouth to keep a laugh from bursting out. Cinderella, however, seemed to think this last remark was completely charming and batted her eyelashes up at him.
"Your eyes," she said dreamily, "are the exact color of the most expensive sapphires. You have a lovely handsome nose, straight and noble." I had never heard of a noble nose before. The boogers must be noble too. Noble boogers... that was a thought.
"Your lips," she went on, gazing at them, "are perfectly full and pink, and look like they would be very soft and nice to kiss..." She blinked at him, trying to convey the message. He obviously didn't get it.
"What about my hair?" he asked pompously. "My hair must be magnificent as well."
"Of course, it is, Your Majesty. It looks like it was spun from gold, and it is so shiny and smooth."
"What about my clothes? I have excellent taste in clothing, do I not?"
"Oh, Majesty, you do! I've never seen such fine..." I stopped listening, this was getting me nowhere.
A distraction from this self-esteem session would be most useful. The gardens was what I had mentioned earlier to her... I just had to get her to the gardens. They weren't far away, just a few yards away from the balcony. But there we no stairs down, and even if I managed to conjure some up without them noticing, I'd never get them down there without them seeing me.
I slumped down onto a bench. This was never going to work. I had tried, and I was just no good at this improvisational stuff, I just ran out of ideas too quickly. My eyes were suddenly burning, and I felt exhausted. I closed them tightly for a moment, then sighed and slouched down, leaning against the roses covering the balcony. A thorn pricked me in the back, and I leapt forward, scowling.
"Don't make that awful expression, dear," said a very loud female voice directly on my right. "It completely ruins your face, it's so unpleasant. And never lean against roses, they almost always have thorns, and thorns hurt, as a rule." I spun around to face her.
A tall, positively dazzling woman was sitting on the bench next to me, though I hadn't the faintest idea where she had come from. She was wearing a strange rose and gold garment made from one piece of fabric, with only thin twisted straps for sleeves, and several necklaces of long gold beads and pink gems. Her hair, a beautiful gold, was twisted up and curled, and light seemed to radiate from her incredibly gorgeous face.
"Who are you?" I asked, after staring stupidly for a moment. She laughed lightly.
"I'm Aphrodite, also known as Venus and the Goddess of Love. You called on me a moment ago, did you not?"
"I... what?" I stammered, rather loudly. I clapped a hand to my mouth, startled by the volume of my voice, but Cinderella and Charming hadn't heard me, or at any rate didn't turn around.
But APHRODITE?!
"Yes. You said something along the lines of 'Okay, Venus, help me out here'. Not the usual form for pleas for help, but nevertheless effective," she said with a wry smile.
"You have GOT to be kidding," I said after a moment of stunned silence.
"No, I'm not. If you don't really want my help, I'll be more than happy to mingle about here..." she said, eyebrows raised.
"No, no, no, that's okay," I said very quickly. "I would LOVE your help."
"That's what I thought," she said silkily. Then she turned businesslike. "Now, these two are soulmates, I can tell that just by looking at them. You wanted them into the flower gardens down there?"
I nodded.
"Very well." She turned to a corner of the balcony (the side which looked out over the flower gardens) and stared at it for a moment. I didn't notice any change, but she sat back, looking satisfied. I shot a puzzled look at her.
"Go look," she said. I tiptoed over to the place she had been staring at, and saw, to my surprise, that part of the formerly firm railing had turned into a small gate, covered with roses to fit in with the rest. Below it, a long, elegantly sweeping staircase led straight down over a hedge into the gardens. I clapped my hands together.
"It's perfect!"
"What else did you expect?" she asked with a glittering smile. "Now, I must go, but I have a little something for you to use." She reached into her dress and pulled out a small bow and pocket of arrows.
"These," she said, handing them to me, "belong to Cupid. You have permission to use them until midnight tonight, then they must be returned. He'll take care of that, they'll just disappear, so you needn't worry about it.
"Now, you have about 45 minutes left... make the best use of your time. Good luck!"
And before I could offer a word of thanks, she was gone. I blinked, and looked down at the bow in my hands. She was real, now I had to... what did I have to do? Lure them down the stairs into the garden, then figure out how this bow worked. All right.
I stood, and with my course of action firmly in mind, set about briskly to make Cinderella's... and of course, my... dreams come true. I snapped my fingers once, and out of nowhere, a huge gust of wind came flying past the prince and Cinderella. Her skirts swirled around her, and a few of her glittering hairthings flew out of her curls.
"Oh!" she exclaimed in a high, delicate voice. The prince --- oh joy --- wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the wind. It died down, and he released her.
"Goodness!" she said.
"We ought to get off this balcony," the prince said. "There may be another big breeze, and I don't want it to mess up my hair again."
"Of course, Highness. That is a truly wonderful idea."
"Like most of mine," he said modestly. "Come." He started towards the ballroom, but Cinderella stopped him.
"Let's go down into the gardens!" she said quickly. The eyelashes lowered again. "That is, if you don't mind, Highness. I simply wish to view your flowers, as I am sure they are the most beautiful in the whole of Arpathia!"
"Indeed they are. That is an excellent idea, milady. In fact, I shall be so kind as to GIVE you a flower!"
"Truly, Highness? Oh, you are SO generous!"
"I know. Come, down these stairs," he said, turning to the ones Venus had conjured a moment before. "I wonder which of my many servants was so good as to order these stairs put in, the other balconies don't have them," he added. "Though all of my servants are thoughtful. You can't HELP being thoughtful for a man like me."
"No, indeed, sire! You are surely the ep... epi.... epitimininny of perfection!"
I snorted silently. Epitimininny! But the prince as looking like he was impressed with her knowledge of such a large word, even if it wasn't actually a word.
"I suppose I am. No, I KNOW I am!" he said with a laugh, as though this were some witty joke. I didn't see the humor. "Let us go down, my love, and I shall show you my flowers. You are sure to be impressed."
"Indeed I shall be," agreed Cinderella with a ladylike sigh.
So the prince led her down into the gardens. They were a pretty sight, Cinderella sweeping down the elegant stairs, glittering like an enormous pink rose, on the prince's arm, his hair shining in the light from the ballroom above. I realized there was little light down in the gardens, only a few dim lanterns hanging on curved poles, and I flew past them all and added some brightness.
There was a large fountain in the first garden, a sort of courtyard enclosed in hedges. Flowers were planted in beds all along the hedges, and bits of moss grew up in between the cracks of the large flat stones that made up the floor.
"I don't like this moss," Charming said once they were down in the garden, pointing at it. "But my head gardener said I should keep it since it looks rustic. What do you think?"
Cinderella was silent. She obviously couldn't think of what the most pleasing answer would be.
"If you say you don't like it," said the prince, "I shall have it removed at once. If you do, I shall be noble and keep it, sacrificing my own desires for yours, which is the princely thing to do."
"I think it's... good," said Cinderella in a voice of mixed flirtation and uncertainty. "You may do the princely thing."
"Very well, my lady," said Charming grandly. "I shall!"
Then they were off strolling around the garden, the prince pointing out every flower, telling her all about how this one would only grow for a royal, how that one was imported from Dorelman, and was very expensive. Cinderella was the perfect princess, listening and gazing at the prince with adoring eyes. He, in turn, seemed infatuated with her. And I... I was bored out of my wits.
I tried to mentally communicate with Cinderella. Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him. But it didn't work, of course.
But I had Cupid's Bow. If I could figure out how to use it. I thought back to pictures I had seen, never having actually done archery myself. The arrows went up against the wood and leaned against the string, then you just let go and it would hit the target. So I mimicked the pose, took careful aim, and fired. The arrow dropped to the ground with a clatter. Just lovely. But if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Or more appropriately, I thought after the fifth try, you need to try and try and try and try and try and try again. So I did. On the seventh try the arrow actually flew, hitting a marble statue of some half-naked sprite. On the tenth try, the arrow actually got to the prince's feet. The eleventh flew over the hedges into who knew where, and at the thirteenth try, I was ready to give up. One last shot, then I was reappearing and threatening them both with major curses until I got an official engagement.
I took careful aim, and to my enormous surprise and satisfaction, the arrow flew straight and true.
Straight into the prince's heart.