A/N: Yessiree (oops, sorry... simpleton phrase there... see below...) I am
back. And I'm promptly leaving again until next month, as I am
participating in NaNoWriMo, and will have NO free time for the entire month
of November. (For information on NaNoWriMo, check out www.nanowrimo.org...
it's looking pretty awesome.) And then, I shall return, so have no fear,
faithful readers. (And I know there are faithful readers b/c these faithful
readers have been faithfully reviewing... YOU ROCK!)
And now, please return to your seats, turn off all pagers and cell phones,
and enjoy the chapter. And, most importantly, REVIEW!!! Many thanks!
*lights dim...*
***
The arrow disappeared completely, and I waited with baited breath to see the effects. At first, I thought there were none. Then I saw a confused look come over the prince's face, and he stared blankly at the back of Cinderella's head (she had turned to look at a rare blossom he had pointed out). But then she turned around, and I knew immediately the plan had worked. His eyes connected with hers and he gazed at her for a moment. She seemed politely puzzled, until he took her hand in his and abruptly started waltzing around the garden with her. She quickly caught on, and got the rhythm of the waltz that was pouring down from the balcony into the gardens. They swept around the balcony together, looking positively radiant. I forgot, for a moment their characters, and felt rather like I had been transported to the set of a romantic film or play . Cinderella's hair and jewelry glittered and her dress didn't look so imposing. More like a flower just burst into bloom. The prince's hair glinted, as did his badges and gold trim. I smiled contentedly to myself. The smile grew when I saw them stop at the end of the number, and watched the prince bend down to give her a rather prolonged kiss on the lips.
I had won.
*****
The clock chimed midnight.
"Noble and fair citizens of Arpathia," boomed the voice of one of the royal heralders from a platform at one end of the room, next to the thrones where the aging kind and queen sat. The entire room tensed. "The time has come for our beloved Crown Prince Charming to announce his choice of a bride! As you all know, the purpose of this ball tonight was to select a maiden worthy of our prince, our brave, valiant, courageous, fearless..."
He then went on to list every synonym in the dictionary for "brave." After that he moved onto the synonyms for "attractive," "kind," "majestic," "royal," "perfect," and "magnificent." I almost fell asleep.
Cinderella and the prince were both hidden behind a large sweeping gold curtain against one wall. There was a room behind it where Cinderella and the prince were standing in a perfect pose under a golden spotlight. Arpathian nobility love grand entrances of all shapes and sizes, and this one would certainly appeal, I knew. I was standing in the crowd, visible once more, Clarabelle next to me grinning from ear to ear.
"His Majesty will now make a speech," the heralder announced. The king stood, hunched over in his many heavy robes and badges.
"People of Arpathia!" he said in a deep, loud, and rather wheezy voice. "I have not yet met this maiden who shall be your princess. But I trust my magnanimous son's judgment! Yessiree, indeed I do!" He said emphatically. A sharp voice came from behind him.
"What have I told you," the queen hissed, "about saying simpleton phrases like 'yessiree'? Don't do that again!"
The king ignored her.
"As I was saying," he went on, even louder than before, "I don't know who this maiden is. But I know my son will have picked out the most worthy maiden of all of you here. I, personally, am rooting for Lady Alianora." He looked about the room, then waved a bit in my general direction. "No, no, she's back there! Never mind!" A regal-looking young woman about ten feet to my left blushed.
"Will you get to the point?" the queen snapped, her voice carrying clearly.
"I'm GETTING there!" said the king, turning around to face her. He turned back around. "Hmph! Women!" he muttered, the sound just barely reaching me. I smiled.
"ANYWAY," the king went on, "the prince's judgment is pretty good, so his bride's okay. Got that? Good." He sat back down, and there was a brief silence.
"Well OPEN the curtain, already!" the king yelled after a moment. The queen jumped, hissed something at him, and then the curtains were drawn open, revealing an absolute picture of perfection. Sharp intakes of breath were heard from every direction, and even Clarabelle mouthed a soft "Wow."
Glitter was raining down in a golden beam of light. Beyond, all was shadows and darkness, though I could tell that the room they were in was all gold. Cinderella's hand rested lightly on the prince's arm, and her exceptionally beautiful face was radiant. He was looking down at her tenderly. It seemed as though he hadn't even realized the curtain had been opened. If he had, he certainly would have been playing to the audience. I heard soft voices a few layers of people behind me. Turning slightly and glancing inconspicuously in back of me, I saw Anya and Sylvia whispering very fast to each other. Sylvia's suitor, the one I had seen walking her home, was standing next to her. He looked as though he wasn't very surprised, in fact he seemed to be enjoying this immensely.
"But she couldn't have... how'd that happen, I mean she danced with him, sure, and that grand entrance thing, but then she disappeared and he started dancing with that snobby-looking princess from who knows where!" Anya was whispering, looking stunned.
"I know," Sylvia hissed, "she must've gotten back with him. He did disappear for a while, but... I don't know, there's something fishy going on, I can feel it."
"You feel like everything's fishy," whispered Anya.
"I do not!"
"Yes you do. Anyway, how'd that happen? And how on earth is Mother going to react? I don't see her anywhere. Are Cinderella and the prince actually going to get MARRIED? I mean, they can't, she's only 15!"
"True, but that's the prince. He'll have whoever he wants, and besides, it's not as if I'll be that sad to have her married to him."
"Yeah, until she orders us imprisoned for unfair treatment to one of that 'inner royal lineage,' she's always going on about," said Anya derisively. Sylvia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on, you're being dense. She's not going to imprison us, she won't have the time! She'll be too busy re-decorating the palace, for heaven's sake."
"That's true. What a lovely thought. Just imagine... no whining, moaning, complaining, ruining everything she cooks, I'll have my room back, this is brilliant."
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Sylvia cautioned immediately, watching the scene before us with a suddenly critical eye.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Anya, looking annoyed. "You just said..."
"Never mind what I just said, look, the prince is about to speak!"
Anya fell silent and turned to look at the front, as did I. Sometime during Anya and Sylvia's whisperings, the prince and Cinderella had stepped forward and the curtain had closed.
"Noble and not-so-noble subjects of Arpathia," the prince said grandly. "I have taken great care in selecting a bride. She will become a princess, and will one day be your queen, so of course I had to choose well, keeping in mind each and every one of your opinions, even those of you whose opinions don't really matter! And behold, I have found the perfect maiden. Lady Cinderella of Arianda, Arpathia!"
There was enthusiastic applause, but I could hear a strong undercurrent of mutterings. I couldn't tell whether they were friendly or not.
"Is she not a rose most fair?" continued the prince once the applause had died down. "Is her beauty not above every maiden in this hall tonight? Some more than others, of course, but, I do believe --- and, of course, am correct --- that she is above each and every one of you!" He bowed, and backed away. There was a thin scattering of applause, a few giggles, and several very offended looks. A pair of exasperated sighs that ruffled my hair came from behind me. I could tell you who they came from in three guesses or less.
"The wedding will be within the next year," said the king. "You'll all get invitations. You can go home now." The queen hissed something at him.
"Or you can stay and dance, whatever," he said with a monumentous eyeroll that I felt sure he had been practicing for years.
The crowd gradually broke up and drifted off, some to corners of the ballroom, some to the balconies, some --- most of whom were sobbing uncontrollably --- out the door. I went to find Cinderella and offer my formal congratulations.
The moment she saw me, her enormous eyes batted and she threw her arms around my neck. I patted her back gingerly.
"My love," said the prince pompously, looking down his nose at me, "ought you to be embracing this woman?"
"Of course!" exclaimed Cinderella. "She's my f---"
"Godmother," I cut in smoothly.
"My---" Cinderella tried again.
"Favorite godmother, I know," I said with a laugh and a meaningful look.
"Oh, of course," said the prince graciously, nodding and sweeping me a bow. Cinderella's eyes widened. She had caught on.
"Yes, this is my favorite godmother in the whole world!" she said enthusiastically. "Honey buns, this is..." She shot me a confused look.
"Celestina Shimmers," I said quickly. I wasn't being exactly truthful, of course, but I couldn't have the prince looking up my name and discovering I was a FAIRY godmother. That wouldn't do at all. "I'm visiting from Brema." There. Now I wasn't even one of his subjects. Not that princes had much power in Arpathia, there were too many of them, but they could get annoying, boasting about their powers over you and such, as my grandmother (an accomplished fairy godmother herself) knew quite well. Prince Marvelous, Waker of Sleeping Princesses and Supreme Ruler of the Universe, indeed!
"I am quite pleased to meet you," said the prince politely. His interest had seemed to drop once I had said I was from Brema. I smiled and turned back to Cinderella.
"I must be leaving shortly, dear, but I'll come and see you tomorrow. Be on the lookout for me, won't you?"
"Of course! Charmykins says I can stay at the palace until we get married! I get my own whole suite, with servants!"
"Oh, that's simply marvelous, dear!" I exclaimed, loading my voice with syrup. "Well, I'll come here tomorrow. Bye, dear. Good-bye, Your Highness."
"Goodbye!" said Cinderella, waving daintily. The effect was ruined by the fact that I was only two feet in front of her. The prince said nothing, and she elbowed him.
"Uh... oh, yes, indeed," he said, "bye."
I gave a smile and melted back into the crowd, then made my way out into the hall and to the door.
Success.
Sweet, beautiful, SUCCESS!
***
Further A/N: Yes, it was a bit short, sorry... but it's not the end! Unless you're so sick of the story you want to pretend this is the end and run off to read something else. That's cool. Just review before you go! Constructiveness is always good... and if your mind is a total bland and you need help, answer me any one of these, or all if you're feeling especially charitable.
Are there any Mary Sues or Gary Stues (flat, perfect characters); is any part of the story going too fast or too slow; is there anything in the story that's very boring and/or repetitive; is the story too cliched; has my writing improved any since chapter one (I'm praying the answer is yes...); how can I improve the writing/plot/characters, etc. further; etc. etc.
Thanks a hundred million trillion bazillion! You are all the most wonderful things to ever occur on ff.n!
***
The arrow disappeared completely, and I waited with baited breath to see the effects. At first, I thought there were none. Then I saw a confused look come over the prince's face, and he stared blankly at the back of Cinderella's head (she had turned to look at a rare blossom he had pointed out). But then she turned around, and I knew immediately the plan had worked. His eyes connected with hers and he gazed at her for a moment. She seemed politely puzzled, until he took her hand in his and abruptly started waltzing around the garden with her. She quickly caught on, and got the rhythm of the waltz that was pouring down from the balcony into the gardens. They swept around the balcony together, looking positively radiant. I forgot, for a moment their characters, and felt rather like I had been transported to the set of a romantic film or play . Cinderella's hair and jewelry glittered and her dress didn't look so imposing. More like a flower just burst into bloom. The prince's hair glinted, as did his badges and gold trim. I smiled contentedly to myself. The smile grew when I saw them stop at the end of the number, and watched the prince bend down to give her a rather prolonged kiss on the lips.
I had won.
*****
The clock chimed midnight.
"Noble and fair citizens of Arpathia," boomed the voice of one of the royal heralders from a platform at one end of the room, next to the thrones where the aging kind and queen sat. The entire room tensed. "The time has come for our beloved Crown Prince Charming to announce his choice of a bride! As you all know, the purpose of this ball tonight was to select a maiden worthy of our prince, our brave, valiant, courageous, fearless..."
He then went on to list every synonym in the dictionary for "brave." After that he moved onto the synonyms for "attractive," "kind," "majestic," "royal," "perfect," and "magnificent." I almost fell asleep.
Cinderella and the prince were both hidden behind a large sweeping gold curtain against one wall. There was a room behind it where Cinderella and the prince were standing in a perfect pose under a golden spotlight. Arpathian nobility love grand entrances of all shapes and sizes, and this one would certainly appeal, I knew. I was standing in the crowd, visible once more, Clarabelle next to me grinning from ear to ear.
"His Majesty will now make a speech," the heralder announced. The king stood, hunched over in his many heavy robes and badges.
"People of Arpathia!" he said in a deep, loud, and rather wheezy voice. "I have not yet met this maiden who shall be your princess. But I trust my magnanimous son's judgment! Yessiree, indeed I do!" He said emphatically. A sharp voice came from behind him.
"What have I told you," the queen hissed, "about saying simpleton phrases like 'yessiree'? Don't do that again!"
The king ignored her.
"As I was saying," he went on, even louder than before, "I don't know who this maiden is. But I know my son will have picked out the most worthy maiden of all of you here. I, personally, am rooting for Lady Alianora." He looked about the room, then waved a bit in my general direction. "No, no, she's back there! Never mind!" A regal-looking young woman about ten feet to my left blushed.
"Will you get to the point?" the queen snapped, her voice carrying clearly.
"I'm GETTING there!" said the king, turning around to face her. He turned back around. "Hmph! Women!" he muttered, the sound just barely reaching me. I smiled.
"ANYWAY," the king went on, "the prince's judgment is pretty good, so his bride's okay. Got that? Good." He sat back down, and there was a brief silence.
"Well OPEN the curtain, already!" the king yelled after a moment. The queen jumped, hissed something at him, and then the curtains were drawn open, revealing an absolute picture of perfection. Sharp intakes of breath were heard from every direction, and even Clarabelle mouthed a soft "Wow."
Glitter was raining down in a golden beam of light. Beyond, all was shadows and darkness, though I could tell that the room they were in was all gold. Cinderella's hand rested lightly on the prince's arm, and her exceptionally beautiful face was radiant. He was looking down at her tenderly. It seemed as though he hadn't even realized the curtain had been opened. If he had, he certainly would have been playing to the audience. I heard soft voices a few layers of people behind me. Turning slightly and glancing inconspicuously in back of me, I saw Anya and Sylvia whispering very fast to each other. Sylvia's suitor, the one I had seen walking her home, was standing next to her. He looked as though he wasn't very surprised, in fact he seemed to be enjoying this immensely.
"But she couldn't have... how'd that happen, I mean she danced with him, sure, and that grand entrance thing, but then she disappeared and he started dancing with that snobby-looking princess from who knows where!" Anya was whispering, looking stunned.
"I know," Sylvia hissed, "she must've gotten back with him. He did disappear for a while, but... I don't know, there's something fishy going on, I can feel it."
"You feel like everything's fishy," whispered Anya.
"I do not!"
"Yes you do. Anyway, how'd that happen? And how on earth is Mother going to react? I don't see her anywhere. Are Cinderella and the prince actually going to get MARRIED? I mean, they can't, she's only 15!"
"True, but that's the prince. He'll have whoever he wants, and besides, it's not as if I'll be that sad to have her married to him."
"Yeah, until she orders us imprisoned for unfair treatment to one of that 'inner royal lineage,' she's always going on about," said Anya derisively. Sylvia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on, you're being dense. She's not going to imprison us, she won't have the time! She'll be too busy re-decorating the palace, for heaven's sake."
"That's true. What a lovely thought. Just imagine... no whining, moaning, complaining, ruining everything she cooks, I'll have my room back, this is brilliant."
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Sylvia cautioned immediately, watching the scene before us with a suddenly critical eye.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Anya, looking annoyed. "You just said..."
"Never mind what I just said, look, the prince is about to speak!"
Anya fell silent and turned to look at the front, as did I. Sometime during Anya and Sylvia's whisperings, the prince and Cinderella had stepped forward and the curtain had closed.
"Noble and not-so-noble subjects of Arpathia," the prince said grandly. "I have taken great care in selecting a bride. She will become a princess, and will one day be your queen, so of course I had to choose well, keeping in mind each and every one of your opinions, even those of you whose opinions don't really matter! And behold, I have found the perfect maiden. Lady Cinderella of Arianda, Arpathia!"
There was enthusiastic applause, but I could hear a strong undercurrent of mutterings. I couldn't tell whether they were friendly or not.
"Is she not a rose most fair?" continued the prince once the applause had died down. "Is her beauty not above every maiden in this hall tonight? Some more than others, of course, but, I do believe --- and, of course, am correct --- that she is above each and every one of you!" He bowed, and backed away. There was a thin scattering of applause, a few giggles, and several very offended looks. A pair of exasperated sighs that ruffled my hair came from behind me. I could tell you who they came from in three guesses or less.
"The wedding will be within the next year," said the king. "You'll all get invitations. You can go home now." The queen hissed something at him.
"Or you can stay and dance, whatever," he said with a monumentous eyeroll that I felt sure he had been practicing for years.
The crowd gradually broke up and drifted off, some to corners of the ballroom, some to the balconies, some --- most of whom were sobbing uncontrollably --- out the door. I went to find Cinderella and offer my formal congratulations.
The moment she saw me, her enormous eyes batted and she threw her arms around my neck. I patted her back gingerly.
"My love," said the prince pompously, looking down his nose at me, "ought you to be embracing this woman?"
"Of course!" exclaimed Cinderella. "She's my f---"
"Godmother," I cut in smoothly.
"My---" Cinderella tried again.
"Favorite godmother, I know," I said with a laugh and a meaningful look.
"Oh, of course," said the prince graciously, nodding and sweeping me a bow. Cinderella's eyes widened. She had caught on.
"Yes, this is my favorite godmother in the whole world!" she said enthusiastically. "Honey buns, this is..." She shot me a confused look.
"Celestina Shimmers," I said quickly. I wasn't being exactly truthful, of course, but I couldn't have the prince looking up my name and discovering I was a FAIRY godmother. That wouldn't do at all. "I'm visiting from Brema." There. Now I wasn't even one of his subjects. Not that princes had much power in Arpathia, there were too many of them, but they could get annoying, boasting about their powers over you and such, as my grandmother (an accomplished fairy godmother herself) knew quite well. Prince Marvelous, Waker of Sleeping Princesses and Supreme Ruler of the Universe, indeed!
"I am quite pleased to meet you," said the prince politely. His interest had seemed to drop once I had said I was from Brema. I smiled and turned back to Cinderella.
"I must be leaving shortly, dear, but I'll come and see you tomorrow. Be on the lookout for me, won't you?"
"Of course! Charmykins says I can stay at the palace until we get married! I get my own whole suite, with servants!"
"Oh, that's simply marvelous, dear!" I exclaimed, loading my voice with syrup. "Well, I'll come here tomorrow. Bye, dear. Good-bye, Your Highness."
"Goodbye!" said Cinderella, waving daintily. The effect was ruined by the fact that I was only two feet in front of her. The prince said nothing, and she elbowed him.
"Uh... oh, yes, indeed," he said, "bye."
I gave a smile and melted back into the crowd, then made my way out into the hall and to the door.
Success.
Sweet, beautiful, SUCCESS!
***
Further A/N: Yes, it was a bit short, sorry... but it's not the end! Unless you're so sick of the story you want to pretend this is the end and run off to read something else. That's cool. Just review before you go! Constructiveness is always good... and if your mind is a total bland and you need help, answer me any one of these, or all if you're feeling especially charitable.
Are there any Mary Sues or Gary Stues (flat, perfect characters); is any part of the story going too fast or too slow; is there anything in the story that's very boring and/or repetitive; is the story too cliched; has my writing improved any since chapter one (I'm praying the answer is yes...); how can I improve the writing/plot/characters, etc. further; etc. etc.
Thanks a hundred million trillion bazillion! You are all the most wonderful things to ever occur on ff.n!