Chapter 11: The Labors of Clarence

At every house, the same ritual played out, over and over, in the small hours of the morning. The footman announced him as he entered, the members of the family bowed and curtsied as introductions were made, and one by one, the daughters were paraded before him in their finery.

He didn't see why his nephew had to be so very particular; any of them could have made a decent queen. Well, almost any, he reflected with a sigh as he stepped up into the carriage again as another family was checked off the footman's list. But the king's order had been precise, not to mention very emphatic: only a young lady whose foot fit the slipper that had been left behind would be acceptable.

As the night wore on, the Grand Duke lost track of how many houses they had visited. And once they'd finished inside the city and began to try the estates in the surrounding countryside, the journey between each one took longer and longer, and he found himself nodding off briefly, only to be abruptly awakened as the carriage jolted to a stop again. The interior was cushioned and padded, but he still found himself clutching at the slipper in terror when it jostled in his hands.

He stepped down from the carriage, wincing at the glare of the early-morning sun. The footman closed the carriage door and then raced past him up to the house to announce him. Was I once that young and energetic? mused the Grand Duke with a heavy sigh. He had found the boy's exuberance grating from time to time that night, but he supposed it was a credit to the lad that he performed his duties so enthusiastically. It also meant that he didn't have to worry about waking anyone other than himself, which was good, as that was becoming more and more difficult.

His curt response to the lady's greeting skirted the border of rudeness, but he was exhausted past the point of caring. This house will be just like the others, he thought as he looked at the two eager young women who sat before him. He'd only gotten a few brief glimpses of the girl who'd so charmed his nephew, but he felt quite certain that neither of these two, with their homely faces, shrill voices, and selfish, greedy ways could possibly be her.

The moment he lifted his hand, the footman raced over to the first girl, who lifted the hem of her skirt daintily and snorted a giggle as her foot perfectly filled the tiny slipper. Impossible! he gasped to himself. He knew it couldn't be her. But at the same time the king's orders had been so very clear, after all. And he was tired – so very, very tired – and quite ready to stop looking. Perhaps he even could make it back to the palace in time for breakfast.

But when the footman raised the slipper in triumph, the girl's skirt fell back, revealing that her heel was not actually in the slipper. "Oh!" she said in dismay, twisting nervously at her curls. "Well it fit just fine last night," she tried to explain, her laughter high and tense. The footman diligently pounded away, trying to shove the girl's foot further into the shoe, but it was clearly no use.

Another hopeless case. He wondered how long a person could go without sleep and waved for the next girl without paying much attention.

Her feet seemed to be even bigger than her sister's, though, and no matter how much the young man pushed and pried, it did no good. "Stupid!" cried the second girl, her sharp voice tightening the knot of pain at the Grand Duke's temple. "I'll do it myself!" She reached out and rapped the footman on the head, and he stumbled away.

With her tongue clamped between her teeth as she concentrated, the second sister grunted and strained, but finally sat up in white-faced triumph. "There," she breathed. "It fits."

Her mother's eyes lit up. "It fits!" she cried.

The Grand Duke leaned forward. "It fits?" he gasped eagerly.

But they had all spoken too soon, for the girl's foot abruptly sprang free from its unnatural confinement, sending the delicate slipper flying through the air. He rushed forward, gaze fixed on the sparkling glass, and ran right into the footman. They both landed in a heap as the slipper plummeted toward the sleek marble floor. The Grand Duke looked up and reached his hand out just in time to snatch it out of the air, and he let out a deep sigh of relief.

He managed to disentangle himself with some modicum of dignity and made his way to the door, but just before he left the house, he heard another voice. Which was odd, because the matron had clearly said there was no one else. He turned, reluctantly, and then froze in place, for the faded skirt she wore was so short that it clearly showed slim calves, dainty ankles… and feet that were astonishingly small.

She sat in the same large chair the others had, and he knelt before her to fit the shoe for her himself, waving the footman over. But a moment later, he heard a thump, followed by a sudden smash, and found himself looking at broken shards on the floor in front of him. "Oh no," he whispered. "Oh, no, no, no…"

His brother's temper was legendary, and he had left no doubt about the consequences of failure. The girl in the chair tried to console him, which was a nice gesture, but completely pointless, of course, except that she has the other slipper. Even though he'd gotten sick of looking at its match, he realized he had never been so delighted to see an article of feminine apparel in his life.

And of course, it fit perfectly.

Author's Note: First of all, I want to thank anyone who's been waiting for an update. You truly have the patience of a saint! With that said, I also must mention that I'm still keeping this fic listed as "on hiatus." Right now my focus is on finishing "Best Laid Plans," my Star Wars fic.

I think this scene is consistent with the movie, but I'm going from memory as I don't actually own it. Please let me know if you notice any discrepancies; I 'panned past' some elements from the scene, but I hope I haven't contradicted it. And of course, I made up the name of the Grand Duke. I don't know, he just seems like a "Clarence" to me!

Reviews welcome and desperately longed for. Don't be a stranger! :D