A/N: So, I was watching Cinderella 3: a Twist in Time this morning and I thought, what length would Lady Tremaine go to to get inside the castle? And then I thought about how if an heir was born then that would kill her chances. And that's how this came about. Be reminded that I didn't want to give away to much of the plot because this is just the Prologue, and I know it's kinda like Tangled... But, this was written rather early in the morning and I was trying to get it done so that I could get it up... Oh, and I named Charming 'Christopher' after the Prince in Rodger & Hammerstein's Cinderella... But, I digress... I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it...
The kingdom was celebrating this very day, after all, today was the very day the King and Queen were having their baby. King Christopher paced outside the chambers as he waited to hear the news of the new baby, his hand going through his hair, his brown eyes to the floor. That's when the doors opened wide, and the nursemaid came out with a smile on her face. "Congratulations your majesty, it's a bouncing baby boy," she said, curtsying as she moved aside to let him get a peek inside the chambers. There she lay, the bundle of blue blankets in her arms as she looked at him, her blue eyes lighting up as the boy's cries filled the air. He ran into the room and watched as she pulled the blanket back, revealing the young Prince. He had his mother's blue eyes, his father's dark hair, and his father's nose. Christopher kissed his Queen's forehead and laughed, giddy as a lark. "Oh, Cinderella, he's… he's absolutely precious," he said, holding out his arms to hold the young babe. Cinderella handed over the baby and Christopher took him in his arms and began rocking him, wrapping his finger in the young Prince's tiny fist. "He's… perfect. Absolutely… perfect. What are we going to name him?" Cinderella giggled and looked at the new father as he held their little bundle. As nervous as the King was, he knew from that moment that he was going to be the perfect father.
"Perhaps we could call him Vincent?" she asked, her voice tired and frail from the hours of labor that she had endured.
"Vincent! That's the perfect name! Prince Vincent," he said, sitting down in the rocker.
The kingdom gathered around as the presentation and christening of the young prince was about to begin. Cinderella had the young babe in her arms, the boy dressed in white and her in her in a pink gown, she waited for the music to start. Christopher came up behind her in a white tux and laid his hand on her lower back, his other hand placed behind his back, and he looked at her, smiled, and watched as the doors were opened to the balcony. The trumpets blew and the proud parents sighed, and walked out to the crowd of the kingdom. Bands played below in the streets as the King and Queen stood there. King Christopher raised his hands, causing a silent hush to come among the crowd. "Good people of the kingdom. Me and my lovely wife would like to introduce you to your future king, Prince Vincent," he said, causing the people to erupt in an uproar of cheers and music. Unfortunately, not everybody was celebrating. In her cottage, Lady Tremaine and Drizella were reading the scrolls announcing the presentation of the child and Lady Tremaine tore up the scroll. "Cinderella and the Prince have had a son! Now we have absolutely no chance of regaining the throne!" she growled, throwing the pieces of paper in the trash bin. Drizella ducked and gulped, smiled, and walked up to her mother.
"What do you expect us to do, mother?" Drizella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, certainly not get inside and steal the young child. That would seem to be… rude," Lady Tremaine said.
Drizella smirked and looked at her mother, watching as her mother finally got a good idea that would crush Cinderella and give them a reason to head back to the castle. After all, the castle rightfully belonged to them. Anastasia had left, she was a traitor anyway. "Come on Drizella. Let's take what's rightfully ours," she said, storming out of the cottage. Drizella followed, not wanting to fight with her mother.
Lady Tremaine stood over the infant's crib, the coos coming out as he played with his feet and chewed on his thumb. Without a second thought, she grabbed the young prince and stole him away in the middle of the night. The infant started crying, waking the King and Queen and causing them to run out of their room as the guards began chasing down the kidnappers. It was to no avail, the kidnappers were gone. Cinderella laid her head in Christopher's chest and cried, her shoulders shaking as he comforted her. "We'll find him. Don't worry. I don't care if it takes a century, we will find him, and then we will bring him home," he said, running his hand through her hair. He looked at the guards and pointed at the doors. "Search every part of this kingdom! Find him! Leave no stone unturned!" The guards nodded and loaded up their horses, preparing for the long trip ahead. Lady Tremaine and Drizella raced for the cottage, the guards far behind them as the baby's cries became almost deafening. They reached the cottage, closing the doors and hiding the young infant in a room with a make-shift crib and Lady Tremaine smirked, looking at the babe that was becoming quiet with every rocking motion from her foot. "Drizella, I want you to keep an eye on the doors. I'm sure those fools sent the guards out to search the kingdom." Drizella nodded, curtsied, and left out of the room.
Cinderella paced, Christopher right beside her, watching and waiting for a guard to come in. Finally, one did, and he shook his head. Cinderella collapsed right then and there, her hands went to her face, and she sobbed even more. "Leave us," Christopher said, waving the guard away. The guard bowed and left, and Christopher held her to his chest, letting her cry there. Cinderella was lost and she didn't know what to do. She looked at him and she sniffled. "What if he never returns? What if—What if they kill him?" she asked, wiping her eyes. Christopher sighed and looked at her, giving a warm half-hearted smile, and rubbed her back. "I'll get him back, Cinderella. If it's the last thing I do, I'll get our son back," he said, lifting her face with his index finger. She nodded and pressed herself against his chest again, sighing. She trusted him. And she knew there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect their only son.
A/N: So, what'd you all think? If I get, say, 4-5 reviews on this story, I will update within a couple of days with the first chapter... :)...
