Well, I owe this chapter to Queen Tabitha Tall, who begged me to keep writing this story. So I did write another chapter, though I still don't think it's very good, but...the rest of you can see what you think, I guess.
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Gerda walked down the road. It was raining and she was tired and alone. She was near to giving up on doing anything, when she felt something peck her back.
"Ow!" she turned around and looked.
It was a shiny black crow.
"I could not help but notice, mademoiselle, that you were out here all alone and soaking wet. Is there anything I can do for you?" the crow spoke in a voice, most unlike what a crow would naturally sound like. It didn't have a squawking sort of voice at all. It was deep and most gentlemanly sounding.
"I'm looking for someone," Gerda said. "His name is Kay. He looks like...well, I don't know, it's been years since I saw him. He had dark hair and hazel eyes. He—he.." Gerda searched for the right words to describe him.
"Well, mademoiselle, you may be in luck," the crow said. "The lovely princess of this land has recently taken it upon herself to find a husband. She's having a ball with all of the eligible gentleman in the area. Perhaps you could find your Kay there."
"Oh! Thank you! Could you take me there, please?"
"Of course," the crow started hopping from tree to tree, always glancing back to make sure Gerda was following closely behind.
Soon, they reached a grand palace of marble.
"I cannot get you in myself," the crow said, "but my sweetheart, she is one of the castle crows, she can help you find the ballroom."
Gerda and the crow went to one of the side doors, where he proceeded to peck on the wooden door. In hardly a moment, a female crow came out.
"Why, Andre! It's you!" she said happily. Then she looked at Gerda. "Oh! You poor, darling, you're soaked!"
"She needs to get to the ball," the first crow said. "She's looking for a friend of hers, and she thinks he may be one of the men come to marry the princess."
"Oh," the crow said knowingly. "Dear, was he—was he very tall?"
"For his age, yes he was," Gerda answered.
"And—did he have dark wavy hair?"
"Yes, he did!" Gerda said, becoming excited at the prospect of seeing Kay again.
"And did he have a fondness for wearing new boots?"
"Yes, whenever he got them, he'd always walk around, making as much noise as he could with them. He delighted in it," Gerda said wistfully.
"Ah, well, the princess has been dancing with a similar sounding man all night. Everyone's sure she'll marry him. They just dance and dance and stare deeply into one another's eyes."
"Oh..." Gerda said, both happy at the idea of seeing Kay, and disappointed with the idea of him getting married.
"Well, come on! Let us go!"
The crow led Gerda down many confusing passages until finally they came to the door of a room, with lovely music coming from it.
"That's the one," the crow said. She'd wished Gerda the best of luck in finding Kay and went back to be with the first crow, which Gerda had concluded was her lover.
Gerda walked inside and immediately felt out of place. She was soaked and wearing old, torn clothes, while all of the other girls had twirling skirts of all sorts of bright colors. Gerda looked about desperately for Kay, but she could not find him anywhere. She wanted to find the princess, to see her dancing partner, but Gerda was not very tall and could not see over the many people in front of her.
Gerda twisted her way around and under people until she found the princess. She knew undoubtedly it was her, the moment she saw her. The princess had long hair like spun gold, a perfect face with no blemishes, and the bluest of eyes. And her dancing partner looked remarkably like Kay.
Gerda ran up and put her hand on the man's shoulder. He turned to face her.
"Oh!" she cried out for he was certainly not Kay.
The princess turned to face Gerda.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Gerda sighed and told her story up to how the crows had helped her get into the ballroom to find Kay.
"Oh, dear," the princess said. "I am most sorry about this whole business, and especially that we could not be of any help to you. At least let us give you some nice clothes and a carriage to find your way to Kay."
Gerda accepted gratefully. The very next day she set out with a brand new dress and a fine carriage with big, white horses. She also had heard that the crows had both got a new place to live, where they would never have to be separated again, a reward for helping her. Gerda thought the princess was quite a kind and gracious person.
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I would appreciate any reviews you give me, especially if they are honest! If you don't like the story, or if you do, I would like to know, so I can decide if I should finish it or not. Oh!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Cinderellaish elements I incorporated into this chapter.