Raspberries Challenge #5: Cinderella

Cinderjudy

Trumpets blared at the Zootopian Kingdom's castle, announcing the ball's commencement. On one end of the large salmon colored ballroom, stood various available maidens of varying species. Each one of them eager to meet the young fox prince that stood across from them in the ballroom. The maidens - all of them daughters of royalty, high ranking officials and wealthy noblemammals - lined up and awaited to be announced to greet the prince.

Nicholas Piberius Wilde, the bachelor prince of the Zootopian Kingdom stood - rather bored - in place to greet each of his potential brides with a formal bow. He was clad in red pants, his royal cream colored princely coat and white gloves that completely clashed with his natural black paws. Though his back was killing him, he somehow managed to keep a straight posture. Not so much for the sake of his guests, but more so for his overbearing father who wouldn't stop berating him for not yet having found a wife to "make grandchildren" with for him.

Speaking of which, the prince's father, Jonathan Wilde, King of the Zootopian Kingdom, kept a vigilant eye on his son from atop a balcony just above the ballroom. Beside him, stood the Grand Duke and the young prince's best friend Finnick, a short fennec fox with a monocle. Both foxes kept a keen eye on the prince as the next girl was called.

"Princess Fredericka Jean-Foxtaine," a beautiful red vixen clad in a blue gown made her way down the red carpet leading to the prince across the way. Prince Nicholas bowed to her as expected, but paid her no extra attention or care - another girl crossed off the long list of possible brides for the prince.

The sheep doorman went on to read the next girl, "Mademoiselle Augustine Zubois. Daughter of General Pierre Zubois!" another lovely red vixen in a pink colored dress made her way toward the prince. Once again, the fox prince gave nothing more but a simple bow.

King Jonathan groaned frustratingly as his son yet again rejected another girl. He facepalmed a paw on his snout, "The boy isn't even trying!" he huffed, while Finnick simply shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile as if to say 'I told you so.'

The king began to grow antsy. That was the 70th girl his son's rejected! Surely he can't keep this up! The next girl must be the one! Right? Right?!

"Mademoiselle Theodora Mercedes Delaroar. Daughter of Colonel and Madame Delaroar." Another pretty vixen in a green gown made her way toward Prince Nicholas while King Jonathan's blue eyes lit up with hope. A hope that died just as quickly as Prince Nicholas once again rejected the girl. Although this time with a bored yawn and cheeky smile towards his father at the balcony.

"Ugh! Look at that smug smile of his," the king scoffed. "He's doing it on purpose just to spite me!"

"I warned you beforehand, sire." Finnick said while playing around with his monocle.

"But what is it about them that he doesn't like? They're all gorgeous, they're wealthy. I've taken all necessary precautions. What more does he want?!" growled the king desperately.

"Maybe Prince Nicholas just isn't ready to marry?" Finnick shrugged.

"Nonsense!" the king snapped back, "I was his age when I married his mother and she was the first and only girl I had presented to me! Fell in love with her the second I saw her. And when we touched paws, I knew she was the one for me," King Jonathan gazed at his paw with a gentle smile at the thought of his late wife. A smile which was quickly replaced with a grumpy frown the second he thought back to his son. "I didn't give my father this headache! Why must Nicholas do this to me!" The fox sat back massaging his throbbing head between his paws.

Finnick shook his head with a light chuckle as he turned his attention back down.

"Mademoiselle Colette LePew. Daughter of Commander LePew." Finnick's interest peaked as he saw a female skunk make her way toward the prince.

"Huh, so I see you didn't limit his choices to only vixens," Finnick commented in surprise.

"I told you I took all necessary precautions into consideration," King Jonathan uttered with a paw still at his forehead. "And does he thank me for broadening his choices? No!" The king looked down to realize his son had rejected to skunk just as he had the vixens. King Jonathan snarled and slammed his fist down on the armrest of his chair. "Come now! I don't care if I have hybrid grandchildren! There must be at least one of them that would make a suitable mother!"

"Shh! Watch it sire," Finnick gestured toward the crowd. Reminding him to mind his words and personal goal around his guests.

"I mean wife," the king groaned, correcting himself.

.

Cinderjudy, decked out in her new sparkling light blue gown, matching elbow length gloves and headband, a black choker, and glass slippers - given to her by her tiny shrew of a fairy Godmother - timidly entered the enormous castle. She was so in awe, she didn't even notice the curious glances the line of guards were giving her.

Despite having been born into a wealthy family, Cinderjudy had never felt like a child of wealth. After her mother's death and after her father married her stepmother, Lady Bellwether, she always felt more like a servant. Or rather a slave. A feeling that was sealed for good once her father died not too long after his second marriage.

Poor Cinderjudy was so young when her father died. She was left to the mercy of her cruel sheep stepmother and her two daughters, Soleil and Luna. Cinderjudy never understood why they hated her so. She had never wronged them in any way, but they treated her like a slave nonetheless - always ordering her around, belittling her every chance they got, and more recently they tore her mother's good dress right off from her just to prevent her from going to the ball.

But no more! Tonight was her night! Tonight she was not a slave, but a lady! A lady who had just as much of a right to meet the Prince as everyone else!

Now...if she only knew what he looked like... or at the very least knew what his name was…

Cinderjudy made her way up the large stairway leading to the ballroom.

.

Soleil and Luna Bellwether prepped themselves up as they prepared to be called next. Soleil adjusted her glasses and puffed up the light brown wool at the sides of her face, while Luna adjusted the lower half of the skirt of her dress not realizing that she was stepping on her sister's dress.

Soleil took a step forward, nearly landing flat on her face because of her sister's carelessness. She yanked her skirt out from under Luna's feet, practically dropping her now. After landing on her feet Luna awkwardly raced behind Soleil, waving her skirt side to side.

"The mademoiselles Soleil and Luna Bellwether. Daughters of Lady Bellwether."

Prince Nicholas squinted his eyes forward to get a good look at them and groaned quietly to the sky. Ugh! There's no way I'm picking either of these two. Something about them tells me they're not as fluffy on the inside as their wool makes them out to be, he thought to himself, already uninterested in the sheep. A feeling that apparently even his father shared.

King Jonathan took one look at them and immediately cringed, shaking his paws and head. In rejection. He groaned fell back on his chair. He sighed in defeat, "That's it. I give up."

Finnick chuckled as he played with his monocle like a yo-yo, "I told ya, sire. But you didn't listen." King Jonathan said nothing. He simply sat on his chair with a heavy frown, listening to the smaller fox mock him. "I'm sorry to say it your grace, but you're too much of a romantic for your own good." Finnick chuckled again, "No doubt you had the whole thing played out in your head like a pretty picture. The Prince bowing down to the assembly…" Finnick bowed, detailing the story with his own motions.

Meanwhile, below the balcony, Prince Nicholas bowed to the two sheep. But as he rose, his actions mimicked those of Finnick's words as if the small fox were controlling him like a puppet master does to his puppets. For as Finnick spoke his next words, Prince Nicholas' eyes widened. His mouth gaped slightly as his emerald gaze caught sight of something in the distance - or rather, caught sight of someone.

"When suddenly he stops!" Finnick continued with his narrative, "And lo! There she is! The girl of his dreams!"

As Finnick spoke to the king, Prince Nicholas' eyes were glued on a gorgeous gray bunny moving about in the distance between Soleil and Luna - his eyes were on Cinderjudy!

Unaware of who he was looking at, Soleil and Luna batted their eyes flirtingly at Prince Nicholas believing his sights were on them. "Um…" he stuttered, entranced by the bunny in the distance, "Excuse me," he maneuvered between the two sheep, determined to reach the mystery bunny.

King Jonathan perked up, his gloomy demeanor immediately fading and making way for curiosity as he witnessed his son leave his post. Where's he going? The king wondered as Finnick continued to coincidentally detail the prince's current actions and state of mind.

"Who is she? Where'd she come from? He wonders. But does he care? No. All he knows is that his heart tells him that here...Here is this girl that's meant to be his bride."

Just as Finnick said that, Nicholas at last reached Cinderjudy, gently taking her smaller paw into his larger, startling the lost bunny. "Are you lost pretty Carrots?" he asked with a playful yet warm smile.

"Oh," Cinderjudy's ears stood then dropped in embarrassment as she brought a paw to her mouth, "I guess I am," she giggled bashfully. "I was looking for the ballroom."

"Well look no further, it's right in there." Prince Nicholas bowed to her, offering a paw, "Would you care to dance?"

Cinderjudy's eyes widened. She didn't expect to be made such an offer so soon upon her arrival. She hadn't even met the Prince yet either but... gazing into this fox's eyes made her knees feel weak. How could she deny such an offer? Especially from such a handsome and sweet mammal. Cinderjudy curtsied and him her paw with a blushing smile.

As Prince Nicholas led her into the ballroom, King Jonathan brushed his eyes in disbelief. Was he dreaming? Or has stubborn son finally found his future bride? The elder fox blinked a few times to realize that he wasn't dreaming! The king smiled wide when he realized Finnick was still laughing at him.

"Hahaha. I tell you, your highness. That's all just fairytale garbage. It just doesn't happen in real life. So I hate to say it, but this plan o' yours was doomed ta failure-"

"Failure?!" King Jonathan snapped, startling the fennec fox - first with his anger and then with his sudden burst of jovial laughter, "Then take a look at that you tiny naysayer!" King Jonathan took Finnick's monocle and pressed it against the small fox's eye so he can take a good look at the Prince and the mystery bunny. "Who is she? Do you know her?" The king asked excitedly.

"No sire. I've never seen her before," Finnick replied.

"Well at least that's one thing in her favor," said the king with a happy chuckle. He then called down to the orchestra, "The waltz! Quick the waltz!"

The court composer smiled and nodded, tapping his composition stick and lead the orchestra to play a romantic waltz.

Now to set the mood! King Jonathan whistled down to more of his servants loudly whispering, "The lights! The lights!" In his excitement he crawled on top of the balcony railing, nearly plummeting down to the ballroom floor were it not for Finnick quickly grabbing onto his tail.

Prince Nicholas and Cinderjudy walked onto the dancefloor, paw in paw. The young Royal fox brought her small paw up to his lips to give it a tender kiss. Cinderjudy blushed with a curtsy. Prince Nicholas smiled then placed a gentle paw on her small waist while he took her paw in the other. She likewise took his paw while her free paw held onto the large skirt of her dress as he led her into a waltz.

Up at the balcony, King Jonathan chuckled happily, "Failure eh?" He elbowed Finnick, who returned a disgruntled chuckle to the king. King Jonathan took one last look below to his son and the young bunny maiden. The elder fox smiled, his heart swollen with joy and pride, Looks like the boy's got good taste! Just like his father!

The king yawned, tired of a long day's work of searching for a bride for his stubborn son. "Well, I think it's time for a good night's sleep."

Finnick yawned too, "Yeah. I think I'm gonna turn in too-"

"Oh, no, no, no my tiny friend," King Jonathan said with a tut, picking up the small fennec fox from the scruff of his coat. "You are going to sit right here." He plopped Finnick down on the chair. "Be sure they're not disturbed and notify me immediately the minute the boy proposes."

"Notify me immediately," Finnick mimicked mockingly under his breath, believing the king had left the balcony.

"Oh and Finnick," King Jonathan said, startling the small fox, "Be advised, if anything goes wrong," King Jonathan slashed a finger across his throat. Threatening death on the tiny fox. The elder red fox left the balcony and danced down the corridor leading to his bedroom singing to the waltz' rhythm. "La-di-la-di, la-di-la-di!" He dragged one of his many guards from his post to waltz with the confused mammal only to twirl him back to his spot and bow to him. The jovial king continued onward and kicked his heels together. It won't be long now till he becomes a grandfather!

Back at the ballroom, Lady Bellwether and her two daughters tried to look past the larger ball attendants obstructing their view of the prince's new mystery bunny.

"Who is she mother?" asked Luna.

"Do we know her?" added Soleil as she managed to catch a slight glimpse of Prince Nicholas and Cinderjudy between a large elephant's legs.

"The Prince certainly seems to," said Luna, "Although I know I've never seen her."

"Nor I," said Lady Bellwether as she stood behind some shorter mammals, "But she certainly is-" Bellwether seized her compliment regarding the mystery bunny's beauty as Cinderjudy and Prince Nicholas waltzed before her. Lady Bellwether's eyes widened the minute she managed to catch a closer glimpse of the bunny's face. "Wait...there is something familiar about her," Lady Bellwether uttered, adjusting her glasses and curiously following the two as they waltzed out to the outdoor balcony.

Lady Bellwether attempted to follow when large red curtains blocked her path, "Oh," she gasped when she noticed Finnick holding the cord of the curtains.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat as if asking her to respect their privacy.

.

Out at the external balcony, Cinderjudy and Prince Nicholas continued their waltz in peace. Free from the prying eyes of others, it was just them in their own little world that started and ended with them and only them. They gazed deeply into one another's eyes, amethyst pools meeting emerald ones and sparkling just as bright as the glitter of Cinderjudy's gown. They smiled at each other as if that was the only expression their facial muscles were capable of.

It was all so wonderful! They could swear they could hear a mutual song playing in their hearts - each of their internal voices complementing one another. A sweet hum that spoke their very emotions…

Mmm-mmm

Mmm-mmm

So this is love,

Mmm-mmm

So this is love...

So this is what makes life divine,

Cinderjudy's heart sang, overwhelmed with love for the handsome mystery fox - as she was still completely unaware of his true identity. She and Prince Nicholas finished their waltz and walked paw in paw to take a tour of the kingdom's vast garden together.

The garden itself was so beautiful. Cinderjudy could swear she was dreaming, so she prompted to give the water in the garden's fountain a light tap, feeling the gentle ripples of the water forming around her paw. It wasn't a dream! It was real!

I'm all aglow

Mmm-mmm

And now I know

Her heart sang as she gazed at the fox, seeing the same warmth in his eyes. She could swear she could hear him confirm his mutual feelings for her.

And now I know

Cinderjudy sighed as she felt their hearts sync in tune with one another's.

The key to all heaven is mine

My heart has wings,

Mmm-mmm

And I can fly,

I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky

After their romantic stroll through the garden and some light conversation, Prince Nicholas and Cinderjudy resumed their waltz under the stars.

So this is the miracle,

That I've been dreaming of

Prince Nicholas led Cinderjudy to the middle of a beautiful bridge that overlooked a sparkling river. They both gazed down to the gentle ripples of the easy flowing water below them as well as their reflections and that of the bright moon behind them. They lifted their gaze to one another. Cinderjudy's heart hummed...

Mmm-mmm

As did Prince Nicholas'...

Mmm-mmm

As they came to a conclusion, they both new to be true despite their brief introduction...

So this is love…!

Cinderjudy and Prince Nicholas sat at thick stair railing as they talked for a little while - in the nearby distance there was a tall clock tower. It's time read 11:55pm.

"And so my friend Finnick kissed this girl he really liked and then she ended up with a mustache smeared on her face too!" Prince Nicholas chuckled as he regaled Cinderjudy with one of his many hilarious childhood stories.

Cinderjudy laughed, "So then what happened?"

"Well once he noticed the mustache on her, he realized that he had one too the whole time."

Cinderjudy giggled, "And no one bothered to say anything when they saw a nine year old boy trodding around town with a mustache?"

"Nope," the fox Prince answered casually. "Boy but did he and his little girlfriend wanna kill me after that."

They laughed wholeheartedly together. Prince Nicholas wiped a tear from his eye from his laughter. After regaining his composure, he gently took one of Cinderjudy's paws in his, "You know pretty Carrots, in all this time we've been spending together I feel like I can really talk to you," he said with a warm and sincere smile.

"Me too," Cinderjudy agreed, returning her own tender smile to him. "It isn't often I get to talk to someone, much less someone as sweet and funny as you."

Prince Nicholas' eyes widened in shock and surprise, "Why not?"

Uh-oh. She shouldn't have said that. "It's... it's complicated," Cinderjudy uttered quietly, gently pulling her paw from his grip and turning away from him. Hoping he wouldn't pry any longer.

"Hey," he softly placed a paw over hers again, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just thought you might wanna talk for a change. I've been doing all the talking all night and who knows if I've been boring you with my riveting tales about my bratty childhood." Cinderjudy giggled at his attempt to cheer her up. "Besides, I'd really like to know more about you. I mean I don't even know your name. I've just been calling you pretty Carrots all night."

"That's true," Cinderjudy reasoned. "I'm sorry I've been such a mystery. It's just that…" Cinderjudy sighed, "I don't know... this whole night has been so wonderful and I'd hate to ruin it. I just can't help get over wondering if this is all one big beautiful dream that I'm going to wake up from at any moment."

Prince Nicholas blinked in surprise at her words. All night she had been so chipper, he almost began to think she was incapable of such sadness. He may not know what demons haunt her, but he knows he certainly brought her some joy. Perhaps he shall save his questioning for another day when she's more comfortable talking about it.

He reached out a paw to her cheek with an understanding and comforting smile. He gently pulled her gaze to his. "Trust me my mystery Carrots. I promise you this isn't a dream."

Cinderjudy gazed into his comforting eyes as he softly traced his paws down her shoulders and slowly moved his lips toward hers. She in turn moved her own lips up toward his. Their muzzles inching closer and closer when-

DONG! The clock tower rang.

"Oh! Oh my goodness!" Cinderjudy gasped in shock, lifting her ears and pulling her lips away before she could kiss Prince Nicholas.

"What's the matter?" Prince Nicholas asked, wondering why she pulled away.

"It's midnight!" she said as she stood.

"Yeah. So?" Prince Nicholas said, stating the obvious and still heavily confused.

"Good bye!" Cinderjudy called as she tried to run from him.

"No, no. Wait!" Prince Nicholas gently caught her arm, "You can't go now, it's only-"

"You don't understand! Please, please I must!" Cinderjudy said, desperate to flee before her spell could be undone.

"But why?" the fox prince asked, not wanting to let the sweet bunny go.

"Well I-I..." Cinderjudy thought fast. She needed an excuse and she needed it now. "The Prince! I haven't met the Prince yet!"

"The Prince?!" the fox's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh...are you being serious? Because didn't you know that I-"

DONG! The clock tower rang again, louder than before.

"Good-bye!" Without a moment to lose, Cinderjudy ran.

"No wait! Come back! Please come back!" Prince Nicholas called back desperately to her. "I don't even know your name or how will I find you!" Hearing the hurt in his voice, Cinderjudy turned briefly to face him one last time at the top of the garden's stairway, desperately wanting to stop and stay with him but knowing that she can't. She continued to flee as Prince Nicholas continued to call to her, "Wait! Please wait!"

Cinderjudy re-entered the ballroom, emerging from the large red curtains Finnick had closed prior. "Good-bye!" She politely waved to Finnick on her way out.

Finnick politely returned her wave until he realized who it was he was waving to. "Whoa wait a minute!" he called out when the curtains were pushed to his face. Muffling his calls as Prince Nicholas emerged from behind the curtains.

"Wait! Carrots!" Prince Nicholas called with an extended paw, just as he was swarmed with a sea of of his former potential brides. All of them curiously asking him about the mystery bunny he was dancing with.

Cinderjudy made her way down the large flight of stairs near the main entrance when-

Oops! One of Cinderjudy's glass slippers slipped off her foot. Figures, not many mammals wear shoes so it was no surprise she was unaccustomed to wearing them. She tried running up to get it, only to spot Finnick racing down the stairs behind her. Not wanting to get caught and with her time running out, she decided to leave it and proceeded to rush down the stairs once more.

"Mademoiselle! Señorita! Miss Bunny!" Finnick called behind her as he grabbed her fallen glass slipper.

Once out the door, Cinderjudy raced to her carriage and climbed aboard. She and her equally spellbound assistants fled past the castle's gates as fast as they could as Finnick called for the castle's guards to stop her close the gates so she wouldn't flee.

"Stop that coach! Close those gates!" Finnick shouted to no avail. Realizing they had managed to escape past the gates, Finnick instead called their guards to chase after them. "Follow that coach!" Various guards on horse pulled carriages raced out the castle's gates in search of Cinderjudy.

Cinderjudy looked back, hoping they wouldn't catch up to her and her friends. All the while the clock tower continued to remind her of the time with its terrible and constant,

DONG! DONG! DONG!

With one last heavy dong, the spell was broken and Cindejudy's gown vanished and was replaced once more with her mother's torn dress. Her beautiful carriage was reduced to nothing more but the pumpkin it was once originally, her family friend and fellow house servant Major - an old gray horse -was no longer a well dressed footmammal, but was returned to his old farm clothes. The same went for her friends and other fellow house servants Jaq and Gus - two brown mice - who were transformed into horses to help pull the carriage.

Cinderjudy and the others sat on the road in shock to realize that they have all returned back to their old former selves. They immediately moved and sought shelter in some brush on the side of the road when they heard the castle guards catching up to them.

They managed to move just in time when the guards ran past them, crushing the pumpkin underneath their hooves and the wheels of their carriages.

"I'm sorry," Cinderjudy apologized to her friends once the guards were gone. "I-I guess I forgot about everything. Even the time, but...but it was so wonderful."

None of her friends said anything, they just took in her joy and smiled. Happy that they could help her and happy to know that she had a wonderful time. They had known her practically her whole life and they've known how horribly she'd been treated by her step family. She deserved to have a good time and be happy.

"And he was so handsome! And when he danced…" she sighed, the thought of Prince Nicholas filling her heart with love. "Oh I'm sure even the prince himself couldn't have been more...more…" Cinderjudy sighed once more but this time with a bit of disappointment, "Oh well, it's over and-"

"Cinderjudy! Cinderjudy! Look! Look!" called Jaq and Gus while pointing at her foot. "A slipper! A slipper! Yeah a slipper! Your slipper Cinderjudy! Your slipper!" they continued to shout together.

Cinderjudy reached down and realized she was still wearing one of her glass slippers! But how? Everything else was gone. Why did this remain?

Oh well. Perhaps it was a gift from her fairy Godmother Fru-Fru! Cinderjudy sighed in awe as she held the sparkling slipper in her paws. She looked up at the sky with a smile, "Thank you. Thank you so much! For everything." Cinderjudy held the glass slipper tight, a memento of such a glorious night, a reminder of a wonderful fox, and of a night she'll never forget.