Hello, thank you guys for your patience. I had trouble at first with this scene but I stole some inspiration from Braveheart and I watched You've Got Mail over the weekend so my romantic nature was re-energized.

Disclaimer: Anything that seems familiar is Disney's.

I can't believe this story has come this far, thanks to everyone who favorited it, followed, and especially to those who reviewed it!

I hope you go watch the 2015 Cinderella soon, I know I will be, and dreaming I could find glass slippers that are comfortable to wear when I go out.

I would love it if anyone would leave a review, so I will get a message saying you've got mail. lol

Also, I will post two chapters at once if you do review :)

Chapter 13: A Girl Worth Fighting For

The members of the court were enthralled as Kane told a dramatic tale of how he found his ring.

"There were wild animals everywhere, nipping at my feet and lunging at my throat. I persevered and fought them off to follow the feather. Just as it seemed I was in the clear, a huge gust of wind blew the feather out of sight. As I began to despair, I found a captain getting beat on by some drunk sailors. I valiantly jumped in and saved his life. Then, a miracle! The feather resurfaced and floated to his hand. I explained about the challenge and he gladly gave me his ring of pure gold."

The court applauded and talked among themselves, Kane was a prince, for certain.

Julius asked, "What of you Kurt?"

"Oh it was terrible, I looked everywhere but the feather refused to land. I chased it all the way back to the castle where I found this creation in a chest. But it's nothing compared to Kane's ring of gold."

Kurt raised his goblet of wine. "To Prince Kane, the future heir to the throne."

"To Prince Kane" the court echoed.

The king meanwhile, had been examining the rings. He rejected Kurt's right off, calling it a circle, not being worthy of being called a ring.

He looked more happily on Kane's ring until it bent as he turned it over.

"Kane! What is this? Is this the most beautiful ring in the kingdom?" The king yelled.

"Father, I...it" Kane stumbled, he could usually manipulate his soft spineless father but now his father was enraged and Kane wasn't sure what to do. Unlike Kit, who had withstood his father's anger and disappointment, Kane couldn't even stand up straight but cowered.

"Kane has been cheated!" Julius cried out, desperate to save the kingdom and Kane's chances.

Just then, Kit ran into the room, a bit out of breath for he had not realized how much time had passed with Cinderella.

The court shied away from him, for he was dusty, his boots covered in dirt and he smelled of birds.

"Father," He panted. "Allow me to submit my ring until Kane can find another one." Kit held out Cinderella's mother's ring and the court gasped.

The king immediately walked to Kit, grabbed it and held it up to the light.

"No, my boy, there is no need. For there could be no finer ring than this anywhere." The king's eyes never left the ring and he stumbled back a bit.

Kit beamed.

"But sire," Julius started.

"What now, Julius? There is no way Kit could have cheated at this task." Alistair said and Edmund nodded as he got a chance to examine the ring.

"It's authentic, your majesty though I have never seen its like in all my books on gems." Edmund added.

Kane burst out. "But father, I am the clear choice for the heir. I am the eldest, the smartest. Kurt's laziness would ruin the kingdom in one month.

Kurt burst out. "Hey!" He grabbed Kane by his shoulders. "We had a deal, I would be head of the army if you got to be king. Well, that deal if off now." He threw Kane to the ground and scowled.

Julius continued for Kane. "And sire, your youngest goes by the name simpleton! He cannot rule...and he was late! Yes, he was later than his brothers! And his ring almost made you fall over, it was clearly bad for your health, sire."

"There was no time limit set, father." Kit stated calmly. He would not be cheated out of a win again.

"But sire, Kit was so late. If Kurt had more time, I'm sure he could find a ring worthy of a prince."

At this, the king looked calmer and he looked at Kurt who nodded eagerly.

"But," the king started, eyebrows still furrowed with doubt.

"Oh, sire, blame it on me, I should have been more clear with the simpleton. It's not fair, I know." He threw his hand over his head dramatically.

"Woe to me, this challenge can not be the deciding one."

The king sighed and nodded his agreement.

Kit was furious, but he knew he needed his father to support him if he became king and a controversy was not the way to earn the throne.

Perhaps if he agreed now, he could talk to his father about giving the ring back to its owner sooner rather than later.

"Very well, I will come up with another challenge, that will be fully explained."

Kane and Kurt sighed with relief before glaring at each other.

Kit watched his father finger the ring and smiled. He would find a way to marry Cinderella and give her back her mother's ring.

The next morning the sun rose on a terrible scene.

The witch had woken Cinderella up just before dawn to interrogate her about the spring but Cinderella had refused to yield its location.

Her stepmother was shrewd and she had looked into the box and noticed the missing ring.

She questioned the poor girl until she admitted that she gave it to a friend.

"A friend?" Her stepmother scoffed. "You don't have friends."

"Yes, I do, he helped me after you whipped me." Cinderella covered her mouth but it was too late.

"He?" Her stepmother's eyes glittered dangerously. "Well, well, well. Who knew you had it in you? A little pony play perhaps?"

Cinderella blushed at the unspoken accusation.

"New game" The witch clapped. Tell me where the spring is or I will hurt your friend."

"No, you can't, he's innocent." Cinderella pleaded. "He's just an apprentice."

"An apprentice?" She questioned, seemingly innocent. "He can't break the spell then." She sighed dramatically.

"Still, I can hurt him if he comes back here...which he will if you are hurt again." The look in her eyes was cold, cold as ice.

She picked up a her walking stick and beat Cinderella's legs and feet until the sun finally rose.

Cinderella transformed into mouse and tried to run away but could only hobble.

Her stepmother caught her and put her into her own memory box.

"Rest up, dearie." She crooned with an evil gleam in her eyes. "When the moon rises, we start again until you tell me where the spring is."

Cinderella prayed that Kit would stay away until her stepmother left her alone again. She couldn't bear to see him get hurt.

Kit went to his father as soon as his morning ride on Tiberius was over. He had thought about it all night, and he was more certain of it than he had ever been before. He just hoped that she'd accept him as he was.

"Father, I need to talk with you."

"What is it my boy?" The king hadn't been approached by Kit for a one on one conversation that hadn't been initiated by a tutor or Julius in years.

"Father...I've found the girl I'm going to marry." Kit smiled brightly.

"What? But how could you, we haven't done the tradition yet." The king was baffled, he hadn't seen Kit with any of the ladies of court.

"Oh, father come now, this is the -th century after all."

"But it's the way things have been done."

"Just because it's what's done doesn't mean it's what should be done. I love her father, she's wonderful." Kit's eyes shone with his passion.

"But, ah," The king didn't know what to say.

Julius had been eavesdropping and saw his chance to take the simpleton down once and for all. He'd be even more of a fool in love than usual, Julius snickered.

"Sire! Princes need to marry for the good of the kingdom, they need a girl of nobility, of good breeding." Julius preened.

"What does that matter if she has a pure heart?" Kit asked.

"Princes must marry for advantage." The king insisted, it was what he had been taught and what he knew.

"Whose advantage?" Kit challenged. "What good are more soldiers or ships or wealth compared to courage and kindness and loyalty of a good woman?!."

The king look taken aback with his answer but seemed to soften with a sigh.
Julius however, smiled insincerely. "Sire, you can't listen to the simpl-Kit. His head has been turned by some barmaid or harlot."

Ignoring Kit's look of indignation and anger, he continued. "You must keep the tradition that the kingdom has followed for years. Your people will respect you for it. It turned out well for you, right?"

The king nodded, his queen was the love of his life.

"There you have." Julius gloated. "In fact, make it the last challenge to be your heir. The one who finds the most beautiful bride, a noble of course, wins. Then you can retire with the hopes of grandchildren."

That sealed it for the king.

"But father-" The king cut him off. "No, Kit. We will uphold tradition. The ceremony will take place later tomorrow, the day before May Day."

Kit sighed with resignation. Traditions and ceremonies had yet to be broken by anyone but the queen and himself, with his hunt of the stag.

The ceremony was decades old. When the princes were of age, they had to shoot an arrow from the castle courtyard. The prince then sought the arrow. If there was a girl holding it, she would become the prince's bride. If there wasn't, they had to shoot the arrow again and the process repeated until the prince found a bride.

His poor great grandfather, he had to shoot his arrow three times before it landed next to his bride. It could be that all the girls had stayed away, his grandfather was not the handsomest lad. However, his great grandmother saw that he would be a noble king and a loyal companion so she grabbed the arrow with pride.

His father's arrow had landed in his mother's garden. The king had a crush on her for a long time and she thought with a bit of humility, he could be a great king. They were married and soon she too loved him as much as he loved her.

But Kit didn't want a noble girl, he wanted to marry Cinderella. How could he make it happen now?

Kit thought for a minute...then he got an idea. He ran to Alistair "We have to go for another ride today."

"What, why?" While Kit loved to ride, two rides in one day was unusual and Kit looked a bit...over stimulated.

"I need to go the woods! It's very important." Kit was practically pulling Alistair down the hall.

"Hold one a minute." Alistair dug his feet in and they slowed. "Why do you need to go to the woods? Does it have to do with that girl you meet?"

Kit stopped. "Yes, I meet her again. Her name is Cinderella."
"That's a lovely name." Alistair said.

"Yes, I want to marry her."

"Then, I am happy for you." Alistair patted Kit on the shoulder.

"But father is insisting that we carry out the ceremony." The smile dropped away from Kit's face.

"Oh, that does pose a problem." Alistair was silent for a moment. "But Kit, you can't let her know or even leave the castle."

"Why not?" Kit demanded.

"You can't be accused of cheating with this challenge. You are so close to wining the heir challenge and the kingdom needs a king like you."
"Yes but-"
"Kit, do you want your brothers to rule? Do you want their tyranny and bullying and selfish ways?" Alistair made Kit look at him.
Kit sighed heavily. "No, I want a chance to help the people."

Alistair patted his shoulder again.

"I have to do what's right and not be selfish though my heart longs too." Kit said nobly, his back straight and his eyes clear.

"The kingdom needs you."

"Very well, I won't leave the castle or send her a message." Kit said calmly. "But you must promise that if I don't win the challenge, you will help me find a way to marry Cinderella."

"Thank you, Kit. You have my word." Upon hearing his friend's promise, Kit relaxed a little.

"Beside, Fate has been kind to you thus far." Alistair said, trying to comfort Kit.

"That's true." Kit had to put his faith in fate, that if he did right by the challenge, if he had even courage, he would find a way to marry Cinderella.

When the sun rose, Cinderella transformed into a swan, hoping that having more feathers and smaller legs would ease the pain.

She could barely drift to the pond however.
Her stepmother had alternated between questioning her, smacking her around, and she gave her a concussion at one point from shaking her too hard.

"A swan," the witch sneered. "How typical, though I think you'd make a better ugly duckling."

Just then her two daughter hopped up, looking more hideous than ever.

Her stepmother pretended to fuss. "Oh, my dears, I'm sorry, the ugly duckling can't help us, now she can't even talk. However can your friend help you now, Cinderella?"

She turned her girls into swans, a big piece of magic but it would last until this boy showed up.
"He'll have to find you first."
Her cruel laugh echoed all around the clearing.

Cinderella's animal friends started toward the forrest's edge, they'd find Kit for her and he would save her.

The three princes stood in the castle courtyard, ready for the traditional ceremony.

Prince Kane was in black and gold. His outer coat was gold, his pants and cravat were black. He had gold rings on his fingers and one gold earring in his ear. He looked every bit a prince, but his eyes were hostile, his smile like that of a vulture circling over a dead body. His bow was sleek and ornate. His arrow was extremely sharp, had black feathers and weighted down so it wouldn't go beyond the noble's land, just outside the castle. He had to ensure he married a noble woman.

Prince Kurt was dressed in dark grey and red. His outer coat was a scarlet red, so the blood wouldn't show up, he often said. His pants and undershirt were dark grey. He looked like a ruler but his eyes were full of anger and his lips curled with disdain. He would beat both Kane and Kit if he had to beat a girl into marrying him. His bow was large, and covered with scratches. His arrow too was weighted and it had red feathers on the end.

Prince Kit stood tall and proud. He was dressed in bright blue and green. His outer coat was bright blue, his shirt was spring green and his pants were a navy blue. His eyes were filled with hope and intense focus. His bow was well polished and had intricate carvings on the end. He had made his arrow as light as he could. The feathers on the end were from each challenge and he had one swan feather he had saved from the when he met Cinderella, so many years ago.

The herald blew his trumpet. The king gestured for his boys to stand back to back. Kane faced the east, Kurt faced the west, and Kit faced the woods.

"Ready"

The boys drew the bows back.

"Aim" The boys pointed their arrows to the sky.

"Fire!" Three arrows shot into the sky.

Sorry to not wrap it up there but I didn't want the chapter to get too long. The next chapter will finish up the challenge and then I will add an epilogue to finish the story.

Stay tuned!