Cinderella
Covered in ashes, she slips from the house.
"Rey! Rey!"
Moonlight is risky for running, but so be it. The only advantage of bare feet is near-silence on cobblestones and the reminder of why.
A shadow detaches from the wall ahead, stopping her. Slick terror pours down her spine but it's sword-straight (posture like a queen, memory murmurs).
"It is you." Relief tinges his voice; deep, with the accent of court.
She breathes again. "I wanted you to know, I — "
"Come on." Ben's teeth flash in a grin. "Escape now, talk later?"
She's laughing all the way to the castle.