Chapter Nine: Buttons and Prison Cells

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!" Stella repeated as she sat with her head planted firmly between her hands, her fingers gripping her hair tightly. Flora was still slumped over next to her but she now had a small red pillow placed between her and the table while Bloom sat calmly on her other side, sipping tea peacefully. Bloom gave Stella a concerned look for the hundredth time and decided to try and calm her down once more "Stella! Relax; I'm very confident that she'll wake up. There's nothing to be afraid of, except Flora being a little grumpy when she wakes up with a splitting headache. Ah well"

Stella spoke without looking up in a voice filled with dread "I'll look back on this in a few years and say 'Hey remember that time when Bloom hit Princess Flora over the head with a shovel? Do you remember how Flora killed her for it? Do you remember how after that Stella got stuck in this crazy ass place for the rest of her days, thanks Bloom!"

Bloom knew she'd upset her friend but she couldn't look back now, it was done and she'd live with it, sighing she put down her tea and let her eyes go over to the red cloak hanging off her bed. She'd been tempted to go and inspect it but for some reason she felt like it would magically take her into the woods or something and she'd run into the wolf and she so didn't want that! So she stayed away and suppressed the urge to go and try it on. She was taken from her thoughts when the sleeping princess stirred beside her and groaned, Stella and Bloom both scooted closer and gave the girl a curious look. Flora moved again and turned her head so she could open her eyes and stare out lazily at the room, both girls held their breath as they waited for more. Flora seemed to realize that she wasn't dreaming and her eyes suddenly went wide, lurching out of her chair and stumbling back she gasped her head and hunched over "OW! My head!"

Stella gave Bloom a dirty look which the girl ignored; Bloom instead stood up and walked cautiously toward Flora "Hey, you okay?"

Flora moaned again quietly and closed her eyes "I feel like I've been struck in the head by a bus!"

"Or a shovel" Stella mumbled as she leaned against the table.

Flora continued "Ah, I need some tea and a nice soft chair to sit down in" Bloom grabbed her friend by the elbow and led her to the armchair by the unlit fire, once there Flora looked instantly better, resting her head against the back and sighing "Hey umm, I was just wondering...why are we in a shack?"

Bloom straightened with a scowl, suddenly offended by the use of the word shack "It is not a shack! It's a cottage! And it's mine so if you want to stay you'll be nice and not knock my home"

Flora opened her eyes and smiled up at Bloom "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't know that you owned such an old-oh my god!"

Bloom jumped at Flora sudden outburst "What is it?!"

Flora set her wide eyes on Bloom "Something is terribly wrong!" She pointed to Stella "Stella's in rags! This is bad, what's going on? We have to be in a different universe, maybe some place where our lives are different right? Bloom please tell me! Because whatever is happening isn't normal, we need to figure it out!" Flora looked really panicked and Bloom waved her hands frantically in the air and yelled "Flora! It's fine, just relax. Everything's gonna be okay"

So after a LONG time of trying to explain the whole fairy tale thing to Flora she finally calmed down enough to sit and speak normally without shouting or almost crying, by the end Bloom was exhausted and Stella had sunk into depression about her clothes. She was sitting on Bloom's single bed fiddling with the tattered lace of her sleeve while Bloom sat on a stool next to Flora by the fire which burned brightly "I can't believe this kind of magic exists, Miss Griselda always said it took massive amounts of power to send just one person through to a different world but the four of us! No way!" Bloom said as she looked into the fire "I've been wondering how in the world my book of fairy tales had magic? And how a page from a book can just appear, it's spent seventeen years on earth how could it do that?"

Flora shrugged next to her "I don't know sweetie, I didn't really get a good look at the book"

Stella piped up behind them "That's a because you were half asleep the whole time"

Bloom scowled over Flora's shoulder "Don't you have some self wallowing to do?"

Stella sniffed sadly "As soon as we get back I'm going shopping and then I'll call Brandon, and then my parents but shopping first!" Stella spotted the red cloak handing from the end of the bed and picked it up to gaze at it lovingly, it was most definitely the finest thing in the whole house except for the broken clasp.

Bloom gave Flora a knowing smile "Do you think time is still going in our world or has it just paused?"

Flora turned her gaze into the fire "I don't know but I really hope everyone's okay. I've only been 'awake' for about an hour and I'm already missing Techna and layla and Helia"

Bloom nodded "Hmm, I know. But Helia is in this world too!"

"But he knows a different me, a commanding princess not a sweet fairy from Alfea" Flora looked a little sad at that "I don't want this Helia I want the one I already have"

Bloom reached out and gave her hand a squeeze "I think that just means that no matter who we are the guys still love us" Behind them Stella snorted "Or it just means that they only like us for our looks"

Bloom sucked in a harsh breath "Do you have to ruin this?"

"You know what, yes I do" Stella answered with a bitchy voice but Bloom could detect the underlying of sadness there too. Bloom was the lucky one to have 'woken up' at the start of the journey, the Sky who had met her knew exactly who she was, too bad she couldn't be with him just yet "Okay, I'm gonna go and get some more fire wood" Stella looked down at the floor after her outburst, with a small voice she mumbled "If you want to burn something burn that flying broomstick, that thing is unnatural and it totally gives me the creeps" Bloom ignored her and kept walking, still annoyed at Stella for her unhelpful attitude.

When Bloom had walked outside Stella stood up and took her place on the stool next to Flora, who smiled and asked "What have you got there?"

Stella lifted the red cloak "Red Riding Hood's cloak, Bloom's supposed to wear it to her grannies house and get attacked by a wolf but the stupid clasp is broken, it needs to be sewn back on and I'm a terrible seamstress!"

"I've seen you create wonderful outfits, surely you can handle a button or two?"

Stella looked glum "That was before we came here and lost most of our powers, we can still feel them but we can't access them, it royally sucks"

Flora held out her hand, Stella slip the red cloak over to her and Flora surveyed the damage. It was just the loosening of the metal claps with a adjourning button that was failing it, Stella had started to sew it together but she was doing a terrible job but Flora didn't say so, she just took the needle and started sewing it on for her "So what am I again?"

Stella leaned her head against her palm "Sleeping beauty. I wish I was in your place, instead of Cinderella. You're lucky you only have to fall asleep and Helia just has to come and kiss you, problem solved"

Flora was so startled by her words that she almost dropped the cloak, even in the slight darkening of the cottage in daylight Stella could see the furious colour of red run across her face under her copper skin "Aw, are you shy about Helia kissing you?" Stella asked with a devilish smile.

"No!" Flora answered stubbornly, her lip jutting out slightly "It's just...I mean we've kissed before it's just that...well it's never had this much riding on it. Doesn't it have to be true love's kiss? That's a pretty big kiss if you ask me!...what if it's not enough? And there's this other reason..." Flora was so red and she finally sputtered into silence so long that Stella had too nod her head and ask "Yeah?..." Flora bit into her lip a mumbled "He's a different Helia in a different world, wouldn't that be like cheating?"

Stella smiled and closed her eyes in relief "Oh Flora I thought it was something important! Don't worry about it, what happens in fairy tale world stays in fairy tale world, okay? And from the fairy tale I've read it seems that you'll be unconscious for about half of it, if Helia ever finds out just tell him that he made the first move"

Flora looked completely uncomforted; she smiled a fake smile and went back to sewing. They stayed like that for another minute as they both gazed into the fire, Flora had a slight smile on her face from the peace sewing gave her. Back in Magix you would simply use magic to fix the problem but there was something so fulfilling in doing it yourself. She was nearing the end of her task when she spoke up "You're going to have to be a bit nicer to Bloom, you know that right?"

Stella didn't look up from the fire "Yeah I know"

"She's been fighting this battle from the start and it couldn't have been easy for her to deal with everyone's problems" Stella nodded and her face gently went calm and peaceful "But now that we're awake we can help her" Flora tied the last stitch with the needle while she spoke "Trust me, everything's going to be alr-ah!" Flora whisked her finger away and glanced at it, a steady stream of red blood travelled slowly down her finger, for an instant nothing happened "Stella, I'm sorry but-" and then PLONK! Stella had been lost in her own world but the image of Flora slumping over in her seat and finally hitting the floor face first certainly got her attention.

Stella shot up from the stool with wide eyes "Oh no no no! You can't Flora; you can't do this to me! This is the second time you've collapsed on me in one day and I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Stella put her hands in her hair and jumped on the spot in panic. It wasn't even thirty seconds since the girl collapsed when the door to the cottage burst open and in poured ten royal guards dressed in armour, Stella could barely blink before they had surrounded her and the unconscious Flora and were pointing sharp spears at her. The first thought in her was 'Use your magic! Get out of there and run!' But that wasn't any good; even now she could feel the power at her fingertips refusing to bend to her will. At that moment the queen herself walked in and Stella felt the old blood deep hate she had for Icy run through her veins at the sight of her. She couldn't fight so instead she looked panicked and stammered "I didn't do it"

Icy laughed an amused laugh and smiled at her "Oh I think you did"

Stella shook her head furiously with wide eyes "No really, I didn't do it!"

Icy shook her head also "And I don't believe you. Grab the princess and take her back to the castle, arrest the servant and thrown her in the royal dungeon"

Ice shot through Stella as the guards gripped either side of her and practically carried her toward the door when she dug her feet into the wooden floor "Oh god no, not the dungeons! It's hideously dirty in there!"

Queen Icy crossed her arms as the blond girl was dragged by her "Good, it'll match the rags you're wearing"

Stella gasped and almost lurched out of the guards grip to glare at the queen menacingly "Oh I so don't like you"

...

Bloom hummed to herself as she carried the pile of wood around her house and toward the front door, for some reason she had been in a fantastic mood since she left the cottage. Ah this is great! It's so wonderful when things finally start coming together, I've woken up all of my friends, Musa is with Riven in that creepy ass castle trying to worm her way into his cold heart, Brandon is head over heels for Stella which makes my job so much easier. Now we just have to wait for him to come and sweep her off her feet, as for Flora it's as simple as pie! Prick her finger on a poisoned needle and Helia will do the rest and as for me...well...I've got my red cloak. That should count for something. Yep! It's all good!

Bloom skipped happily like a child over to the front door but skidded to a grinding halt when she saw that her front door was open half way, dropping the wood and screamed enraged "Sweet Magix, Stella's loose!"

Bolting to the door she rammed inside with the words 'Flora, where's Stella gone?' on her lips when she found her home empty, chairs toppled over, mud on the floors where people had trampled, her red cloak lying discarded by the armchair and a suspicious looking note on the table. Bloom gripped it in both hands and read quickly.

By order of her majesty Queen Icy, first of her name, wife to king Valtor and ruler of the magic realm, the servant Cinderella, property of Countess Cassandra has been arrested for high treason, kidnapping, use of forbidden magic and attempted murder of Princess Aurora. Due to the seriousness of her crimes the offender shall be tried and punished as soon as the queen demands it, signed the chief of authority over the realm of fairy tales.

"What the hell happened while I was gone?!" Bloom screeched, shoving the paper into her pocket Bloom turned and ran through her front door with her sights set on the castle but paused a metre out of her door to turn around and bolt back inside to snatch up the red cloak from the floor, throwing it over her shoulders as she ran with all her might down the road.

...

Stella wanted to throw up.

Literally keel over and discard everything she had ever eaten, the smell from the dirty dungeons was making her stomach feel like it was in a mosh pit somewhere bouncing around to the rhythm of some sped up rock band. Frantically gripping the stone walls she thought desperately of her home world where everything was clean and there were flowers everywhere and perfume existed and not ankle deep in mud and gods of Magix knew what else. Moaning as she placed her forehead against the wall Stella thought over what had happened at the cottage and tried to figure out HOW it had possibly happened. The hag! That old slimy filthy wart covered hag did this to me, she gave me that stupid poisoned needle as a trick and now I've been arrested for high treason! AND attempted murder! I mean what the hell is that? It's not like Flora's dead, thank god! But really I think everyone's over reacting, just get Helia to pucker up and she'll be back to normal. Jeez! And oh god this dungeon, rats are living better than I am and they aren't even royalty! I'm royalty, I'm Princess freaking Stella of Saloria and I do not deserve to be treated like a common criminal! I want Brandon...

A heavy door was opened somewhere out of sight, the sounds of multiple footsteps echoed through the dungeons and Stella knew without a doubt they were for her. Standing up straight she stood with as much grace and proud royal manner she could muster, and that was pretty much all that kept her standing when the Prince Brandon himself appeared through the bars of her cell. Stella wobbled on the spot and had to place a steady hand on the wall to keep from falling to her knees and begging to her life. Brandon stood with his squire Sky and had it been happier circumstances Stella would have laughed at the swop in status between the two but right now she was too focused on the cool expression in Brandon's eyes.

He didn't look mad, or disappointed or even disgusted. He looked a little sad.

"Cinderella..." He said as he gazed into her wide eyes, his tone like that of finding something that was lost but not being happy or angry at its whereabouts, you just simply found it. He seemed to be assessing her and at that moment Stella had never felt so inferior in her life, he was a prince in richly dressed clothes looking at her through prison bars as she tried not to think about how she must look in her mud covered rags and tangled blond hair, she knew there was dirt on her cheek and possibly even a leaf twisted in her hair and the knowing of all this made her want to cry. I wonder if this is what Brandon ever felt when he was around me, not that he was dressed in rags or anything but the feeling of being so...insignificant compared to another person. I guess that status of royalty weighed more on him than I can possibly imagine.

"I don't know what to say..." Stella said in a small voice, struggling to keep eye contact.

"Me either"

Stella smiled and looked around the cell "I guess this isn't the kind of place you had been hoping for when we would be reunited, a prison cell. I wouldn't blame you for running for the hills"

"Is that what you think I'll do?" Brandon asked with a clock of his head to the side.

Stella shrugged her shoulders "I would if I could, this place is disgusting"

After a long moment he spoke "I never wanted you to end up here" Stella would be lying if those words didn't give her hope.

"Me too, I really didn't see this coming" She replied casually as she walked forward and leaned against the bars, staring at the ground "I had this picture in my head where I'd hear a fan fare sounding outside my house and my door would sweep open and there would be girls in colourful dresses with flowers in their hands presenting them to me, I'd smile and act surprised, and then you'd appear at the door, possibly riding a white horse it would be your choice, you'd walk in with this worshiping look in your eyes as you came to me, we'd stand together and you'd take me hand and confess you love, fall to your knees and present me with my glass slipper..." Stella disguised the wetness in her eyes with a small laugh and a look to the floor "But that's a lost cause now isn't it"

Brandon came to the other side of the bars and reached through to wipe away a stray tear from her cheek, Stella glanced up and was astounded at the complete look of devotion and love in his eyes, there was no hate or anger at all. The look made her want to take a step back she was so surprised, even more when he spoke in a soft voice.

"Ever since last night I haven't been able to keep you from my mind, you with your sparkling eyes and your golden hair" Stella blinked and tightened her grip on the bars "When I saw you that first time in the ball room, lining up to meet me and being unable to even look me in the eye I was captivated by your beauty, I only saw you for an instant but that was enough. You walked away from me and with every fibre of my being I wanted to follow you, to take your hand in mine and keep you by my side. From that moment on no other girl could catch my eye, no one could inspire such a feeling of wonder and no other girl could shine like you do"

Stella stared at him with wide tear filled eyes and somewhere deep inside her she screamed 'God I knew there was a reason I loved him!' she continued to watch him as he took her small dirt covered hand in his own soft clean one, the comparison made her bottom lip shake as tears threatened to flow. He continued on "When I found you again out on the balcony, you were crying. I stood there and listened to you tell me about how you had thought you'd made a fool of yourself in front of the prince and that you were embarrassed and didn't believe I could ever like a dirty servant girl like you"

Stella smiled a bittersweet smile looked to the side away from his captivating eyes "Well now that you've seen the girl in the rags and dirt you can see where I was coming from, seriously look at me"

"I am, I never stopped looking at you" Brandon said as he tightened his grip on her small hand, she looked back up at him "Boy you really are a ladies' man"

Brandon smiled and placed a gentle hand on her cheek "I know" he watched her as she tried to smile back at him but was only able to flinch and look back at the ground, a sad look on her face "You really don't believe me do you?"

Stella didn't look up, she simply shook her head.

"You really don't believe that a prince can love you? I guess I'm going to have to prove myself" He sounded determined now.

Stella looked up at the wall with a curious expression "You're not the one who needs to prove themself; I'm the one behind bars here. Or are you too busy looking at me that you didn't notice?"

"I noticed, I just don't care. I know you didn't poison my sister" He sounded so sure.

Stella finally looked at him in the eye "I didn't. I had nothing against her, she's a lovely person, truthfully I've always thought she was so much more better than I was, better than everyone" After a pause "Don't tell her I said that she'll never forget it"

"You'd met her?" Brandon asked with a curious look.

Stella threw up one hand that wasn't being held by his "Why do you think she was in my friend's cottage, she wanted to help us be together...then she got poisoned"

"How?"

Stella took a breath and said the same thing she'd been saying for an hour now "It was the hag that sold me the red cloak, she gave me the needle with the poison on it"

Brandon shuffled to his other foot in thought "So why was my sister sewing with the needle?"

"I couldn't sew that well" Stella answered simply.

Sky piped up behind them "You're a servant and you can't sew?"

"Sky!" Brandon scolded the squire with a dirty look.

"Sorry" Sky said formally, a blank look of a faithful servant on his face.

Stella continued "I wanted to do something nice for my friend, the cloak was for her. Any of us could have gotten poisoned it just happened to by your sister, is there any way to wake her up?"

Brandon opened his mouth to answer but he was interrupted by an opening door at the end of the hall, he looked grave and determined all at once. Turning back to her he whispered "It's time for your trial with the king and queen, I'm really not sure how this is going to go for you but just now that whatever happens I'll be by your side"

Stella was suddenly panicked and worried and freaking out but she nodded anyway "I know"

Brandon stepped back from the bars as Sky came forward to the door and produced a key to unlock it, swinging open the door Stella walked out carefully and tried to present a calm proud manner of walking with her head held high, she was pretty sure she pulled it off even in rags. Brandon took her hand as they walked, guards appearing out of nowhere to stand around her and the two other guys. Sky walked up beside her and whispered "Your friend, Bloom, is she okay?"

Stella glanced at him and saw the saw worry and determination as Brandon but she was sure it wasn't just for her he was worried "I think so; she wasn't there when I was arrested but knowing her, I can say without a doubt...she'll be here soon"

...

Bloom was burning with anger, her face heating up and her fists clenching tight against the strain to hit something, she faced the guard at the entrance of the castle and have him her coldest look "What do you mean I'm not allowed in?!"

...

Throughout all of Stella's years of being a princess she had learned that no matter what, when you were in a large room with lots of people watching you were NEVER EVER supposed to slump, scowl or spit. She had never really understood why spit was a rule because wasn't it common knowledge? But now...she understood.

Nothing would give her more pleasure than to slump where she stood, scowl at everyone and walk right up to the shiny golden throne and spit of Queen Icy, the only thing holding her back was the prince at her side. He stood two and half precious metres away from her but she could still feel the heat from his body at her side, he had twitched with the feel of his missing hand. In reality she had never felt more comforted. How does he do that?

As she had come to find out the word 'trial' was a bit of an overstatement, this was more of a 'be lazy and just punish the girl for her crimes' thing. Since she had gotten here no one had asked her for her side of the story, questioned her about the hag or even asked her about her relationship with the princess was. They just assumed she was guilty, and were right now in the middle of figuring out her punishment. They were in a smallish room with dark wooden floors and closed curtain windows, about thirty people stood and watched along with the guards, prince and squire and the king and queen.

A man from the kings guard spoke proudly of her guilt as if she wasn't even there "And at no time as when the princess had collapsed did she try and aid the poor girl, no she simply stood there and said, and I quote "I didn't do it" Surely a more compassionate and caring servant, loyal to the throne and its occupants, would have more dignity and tried to help princess Aurora. But she didn't! Can this not be more evidence to the fact that this girl" He pointed at Stella "Is a criminal, hell bent of destruction of all we hold dear and guilty of attempted murder of our most beloved princess"

Brandon looked disgusted and stepped forward "Now we can hardly call it attempted murder can we? We all know a sleeping curse can be broken by true loves kiss, the simple fact that it can be broken and my sister can be brought back must count for something. You have to see that a sleeping curse isn't murder at all!"

Queen Icy spoke "It might as well be!" She stood from her throne and walked slowly from her podium "Well all of know of this curse, we all know how long a person can remain under it: eternity. An eternal sleep that keeps the victim alive so they outlive all of their own relatives and all those they loved, even if we were to find her 'true love' what do you think would happen if we didn't and the man simply passed away from old age, what then? She'd be stuck in her cursed state and never wake again, that is what I call murder!"

"You can't think like that!" Brandon replied, anger showing in his voice.

Icy yelled back at him "I can and I do!"

"Enough!" Valtor yelled from his throne, casting a scowl on everyone in sight, he stood up and addressed the court "This arguing is pointless, let's just move on"

Icy looked mad but returned to her seat, Stella could still see the anger from Brandon radiating out of him. BLOOM WHERE ARE YOU?! Brandon stepped forward and began in a more controlled voice "Listen, we all seem to have accepted that this girl, a girl who has never given any reason that she has any hate toward the royal family whatsoever, is guilty. How can we say for sure that she was the one who poisoned that needle? How can we say for sure that someone didn't give it to her so she might accidently poison herself or her friend? We all know of how I intended to announce her as my bride to be on the night of the ball so why would she jeopardise that and poison my own sister? It seems much more likely that someone gave her the poisoned needle in hope that she would poison herself"

Would it be rude to applaud? Stella thought proudly.

"Ah yes, the hag the girl spoke of" Valtor mused in his seat, next to him Icy shot him a dirty look along with a wary one, Stella could see the queen wanted her dead but she didn't think the kind was in on it too. Icy quickly spoke to her "This hag you think you spoke too, what did she call herself again?"

Stella hesitated before answering "The town's beggar woman"

Icy looked smug "Our realm doesn't have any beggar women, we're poverty free"

Stella stared at her with wide eyes. Shit! Stella swallowed a gulp and spoke "I only know what she told me and she told me she was a beggar woman who travelled from place to place, I guess she lied"

"I'm sure she did" Icy looked even smugger than before! "Let us put an end to this" She addressed the king with a sweet voice "Surely you can see the girl's guilt. Her story is flimsy, full of holes, she made no attempt to help our own princess and Aurora will now have to sleep forever. Where is her justice? The girl may be Brandon's bride to be but truthfully I don't see how we can rely on that fact when it could be possible that she has him under some kind of love spell" The whole court gasped, as did Brandon and Stella.

"That's not true!" The two of them yelled in unison. Brandon continued "You can't think that-"

"ENOUGH!" the king Valtor yelled again, silence swept through the court. He sat in his throne with a truly tired look "I'm tired of this, I pronounce the girl guilty she will be punished immediately. The sentence shall be decided by the queen and the girl's owner, Countess Cassandra. Court is adjourned!" the king abruptly rose and left and room. People mumbled excitedly among themselves as Stella stood frozen to the spot, staring at the floor. If I die here do I die back home? She turned to Brandon who took her hand tightly "Brandon am I going to die?"

He looked surprised "What? No, of course not! We don't have the death sentence in our land"

Stella felt immense relief "Oh that's good. I guess they'll have to think of a punishment worse than death then...oh...my...god!"

Brandon pulled her close and rubbed small circles into her back "it's all right, I'll think of something"

Stella glanced over his shoulder where the queen and her old owner were conversing, Countess Cassandra looked about ready to dance with joy and Icy looked like she was about the laugh herself silly, they both walked over to her with smug smiled. Brandon held her tighter as she looked at Cassandra's bruised and bandaged nose.

"This is for punching you, isn't it?"

For some reason I have a strange fascination with tearful reunions through prison bars, what is that?! Anyway Hello my darlings! I feel like It's been so long since we last spoke, I'm sorry about not updating for a while there I was busy travelling but I'm back now and I've got the rest of the story figured out! YAY! I've noticed that It's only when i ask for reviews that i get lots of them, I could always threaten you and say if you don't' review I won't write anymore but we both know that's not going to happen, you know I'll finish the story. So I ask respectively PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!