The shoe fits – but does the girl

The king wasn't stupid. He never thought that the shoe would only fit the right girl. He was tired of arranging weekly dances and wanted his son to get married to any girl, preferably one that didn't run away all the time. The very next day he sent out two of his officials and the prince's servant, Conrad, to all the girls in the country. If the shoe fitted, the girl was to be brought to the palace immediately.

Whether by Conrad's design or cheer luck, but the first name on the list was Countess du Bellefleur. The Countess virtually pulled them inside and said, "I see you have my daughter's shoe. She will be so pleased." Then she called Bernardine to try on the shoe. Bernardine managed to squeeze her foot in it but when she had done three steps, she cried out in pain and pulled the shoe of as quickly as possible.
"Madam, it doesn't seem to be your daughter's shoe after all," said the first official.
"My mistake. This shoe belongs to my second daughter."
Clotilde was called and put the shoe on. Proudly she walked round the room and as far as the front door. Then, with a wail, she kicked the shoe across the room.
"Another mistake, madam?" said the first official.
"Any other daughters who've lost a shoe?" said the second official.
Very reluctantly the Countess called Aurore who didn't want to try the shoe on. The officials however, insisted; every girl had to try on the shoe. Of course the shoe fitted nicely but Aurore didn't want to go.
"You're making a mistake. I'm not the girl you want."
"Shut up, you stupid girl," said the Countess. "This is your chance to become a princess and future queen of the country. Think of all the dresses and jewellery you will have."
"I don't want to marry the prince. I don't love him."
She looked at Conrad pleadingly but all he could say was: "It is according to the King's wishes."
All her protestations didn't help one jot. With her stepmother's assistance, the officials put Aurore in the waiting coach and took her to the palace. Her only comfort where the words Conrad had whispered: "I'll talk to the king."
At the palace Aurore was shown to a nice room where she could get ready to meet the prince.
"If you need anything just ask Conrad. He'll get it for you," said the first official and then he went to tell the king of their success.

Aurore wanted to call Conrad but he wasn't outside the room. When he finally arrived she asked him to come inside. She wanted to kiss him, wanted him to kiss her like they had done in the garden the previous night. He held her off.
"We can't. You're Prince Eric's bride now."
He didn't look happy.
"It's not as if it's my fault that that shoe fits me."
"You didn't have to try it on. You knew it wasn't yours."
"Tell that to my stepmother. You saw how she forced me. Between her and those two stiffs I had no choice."
"I'm sorry." Conrad held her tight. He didn't want to lose her.
"You have to tell the king that I'm not the girl he is looking for. You can tell him I was with you all evening."
"I have tried that already. But he doesn't listen. He wants Eric to get married and he doesn't care who the bride is. If the shoe fits, the bride is found even if it isn't the girl Eric loves."

Aurore thought hard. It was up to her? What could be done? Then she thought of the silly plan she had had the night before. Cindy wearing the one shoe, Cindy and the dress. It might work. It had to work. The happiness of four people depended on it.
"Tell the king that I want to get dressed for the occasion and that I need my personal maid to do my hair," she said to Conrad. "Then go to our house and bring Cindy and the trunk in my bedroom here. If my stepmother has any objections, give her the same reason as the king."
The king had no objections. The countess said, "I'm glad she has come to her senses. Take whatever my darling stepdaughter needs."

When Cindy heard this, she feared that Aurore had betrayed her. That she only wanted the trunk with the dress and the other shoe to prove without a doubt that she was the missing queen. That she, Cindy had to be there to look on as Eric was taken from her. She couldn't tell anybody the truth. Who would believe a mucky kitchen maid? While Conrad went to fetch the trunk, Cindy got into the coach. She hid her face, trying to keep back the tears.
When they arrived at the castle Conrad took the trunk in the room and said to Cindy: "Your mistress is in there." Cindy hurried past him into the room, keeping her head down so he wouldn't recognise her. Before Conrad closed the door Aurore asked him, "Could you tell the king that I want to see him before I meet the prince? Tell him anything you want about me; tell him I'll scream, I'll throw things around the room, make it sound as if I'm the worst of harpies, but make sure he comes. For all of us," she added and gave him a quick kiss.

As soon as Conrad had closed the door, Aurore fished the left shoe out of the trunk and put it on. She gave Cindy the right shoe and said, "Put this on. We're going to give that king more than he bargained for; two brides for his son. And if all else fails, we have the dress that fits you a lot better than me."
Then she saw Cindy was crying silently.
"Hey, girl, what's the matter? This is no time for tears. Come on, smile. You're about to see your Eric again."
"It was so horrible," Cindy said, drying her tears. "I heard the countess say 'finally she's come to her senses. And then Conrad asked for the trunk. And I thought you wanted to be queen and marry Eric. I know, I know, I should have known better. But, oh, Aurore, you don't know what these last weeks have been for me. Being in Eric's arms one moment and being slapped and shouted at the next. I couldn't think how this could end happily – I still can't – and I want it to so much."
Aurore just held Cindy. She didn't chide her for doubting her friend. She understood that the countess' treatment could have that effect on a person. Aurore remembered how carefully she herself had studied Cindy before deciding she was not like her stepsisters. With Conrad she had so carefully hidden her feelings and, thank god, it hadn't been too late when she realised he loved her. Yes, the countess could be a blight on anything that was good and precious.
When Cindy had dried her tears and wiped her face the girls waited for the king. Hand in hand they stood there, a united front against fate as it tried to separate them from the men they loved.

The king was reluctant to comply with Aurore's demand. Conrad, knowing his happiness with Aurore might depend on it, said: "She means it, Sire. I think it would be wisest to do what the girl asks. I heard she can be very stubborn and she threatened to break the room down. Really, it might just be a simple question only your Majesty can answer. "
To avoid screaming, hysterics or anything else the girl might do he went to see her. As soon as he had entered the room he asked Aurore, "Why did you want to see me? Is there a problem?"
"Please, Your Majesty, why do you want me to marry the prince?"
"You tried on the shoe and it fitted. That makes you my son's bride. That's final."
As the girls had agreed earlier Aurore showed her left foot and Cindy showed her right foot.
"Which one of us is the prince's bride, Sire?"
"The one who tried on the shoe that we found on the stairs. The other shoe can be a fake."
"I tried the shoe on and it fitted me. That's why I was brought here. Now my sister is wearing it and it fits her even better. Does that make us both your son's bride, Sire?"
"Of course not. You two obviously have the complete pair, so one of you is my son's mysterious queen. He must choose between you."
The prince was called for. The king had told the girls to hide and come out when he called them.

When the prince had entered the room, very much against his inclination, the king told him about the problem.
"We have two girls who can wear the shoe that you found. One of them will be your wife. Now you must choose between them."
"I'm sure you could find a whole regiment of girls that the shoe fits. I want only one, the right one."
"You can have one of these two. Choose or I will choose for you."
Then the king called out for the girls to show themselves. The girls appeared from behind a screen. No sooner had the prince seen them or…
"Cindy?"
Why was she here, how did she get here? The prince was totally confused. All the feelings he had had for Cindy came flooding back. He looked into her eyes. A song started to intrude his thoughts; the music of the first dance with his queen. She had looked at him just like this. Just …like …
"Cindy! You are my queen!" It was a cry of joy.
Eric put his arm around Cindy and led her to his father.
"Father this is my bride! I'll marry this girl with all my heart. I realise that she is only a teacher or a governess and not a queen, but I love her and want no other."
"Hmm, a teacher. I thought she was a lady's maid. That is why she was brought to the palace."
The King turned to Aurore. "And you asked for her. Can you explain this, young lady?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. We are neither teachers nor governesses. And Cindy isn't my maid. It was the only thing I could think of to get her here. I had to deceive our stepmother. This is Sandrine du Bellefleur, only daughter of the Count du Bellefleur."

Then Aurore told the king how the Countess had used Cindy after the disappearance of the count. Immediately the king decided that the Countess could no longer be guardian to Cindy and he sent her with Aurore to his sister where they stayed until Cindy married Prince Eric.

Because this is a fairy tale there was some more wonderful news for Cindy even before the wedding. Her father was still alive and on his way back. The ship had been in a terrible storm and was stranded on an island severely damaged. Without the necessary supplies it had been difficult to get the vessel safely on dry ground. Repairing it had been just as difficult. Eventually, slowly the ship sailed away from the island. Luckily there had not been another storm and they had reached a port, far away from their original destination. There the count was waiting for his ship to be properly repaired when he unexpectedly was offered passage on a ship that was going home. He was back in time for his daughter's wedding and Cindy walked down the aisle on her father's arm, happier than she had been in years.

When the Count heard how his wife had treated his daughter, he immediately divorced her. She left the house with her daughters and all the clothes and jewellery that they had acquired during the marriage. The former countess considered Bernardine was the daughter with the best chance to catch a good husband, so Clotilde was now used as a Cinderella. She soon realised what an angel her stepsister had been. The moment Clotilde thought that she knew enough about running a household she left her mother's house to became the housekeeper of a bachelor. Two years later she married her employer, who was fifteen years her senior. Despite what anyone might think, Clotilde became a happy wife and mother.
Bernardine never married. She and her mother became vinegary old woman who made each other's lives a living hell.

Conrad and Aurore stayed in the castle as personal servant and lady-in-waiting to Eric and Cindy. One day they disappeared and nobody saw them again, which started the story of a fairy godmother that had helped Cinderella to get to the ball.

Later Eric and Cindy were invited to the marriage of the crown prince of a neighbouring country. They got a big surprise when they saw the young couple. From then on there were regular visits official and unofficial between the young royals of the two countries. The four of them always remained the best of friends…

but that is another story.

THE END