Once Upon A Time [BxB]

Chapter Fifteen: Unfair

The snow had almost melted away.

It was announcement day, and once again I was sitting near the footman as the carriage journeyed to town.

I smiled to myself as the carriage passed the clearing Christopher and I had a picnic in. The past few days have been filled with thoughts of Prince Christopher and the days we shared. I found myself sighing frequently, longing to see the boy again.

I hugged the blanket Christopher gave me. It was wrapped around my shoulders because it warmed me much more than the coat; and I don't think the soft wool was the sole reason.

The carriage came to a slow stop at the entrance of the town. Sighing, I jumped off my seat and joined the crowd. This time, I did not wait for my family. Instead, I covered my face with the blanket, pretending to be a regular beggar.

I wiggled my way to the front. At first, I was hesitant. It was quite obvious the announcement was about Christopher's engagement, but the person he was to be wed with was a complete mystery. I nearly turned the corner to the snowy forest, afraid of what I was about to hear.

"Hear ye, hear ye! The crown prince has a message for all!" The announcer shouted. "Prince Christopher Atlas Kahlair has decided to hold a test for all unmarried and adult men. The boy who passes the test shall be wed to the prince, unless he refuses. The test's contents are forbidden to be shared, and punishment for these crimes will be banishment."

Everyone gasped and whispered to each other, words carried along the swift breeze. My brows were furrowed while questions swarmed my mind. Had the ball meant nothing? Were his words a lie?

Was Christopher trying to find me?

"The only requirement I am allowed to share is that the prince is looking for a specific item," The announcer finished.

He had said more that had nothing to do with Christopher's 'test,' so my ears blocked the words.

I grinned at the possibility that Christopher was searching for me. The item part had made my hopes halt, but they sparked when I remembered about the glass shoe. One of them had been left behind during my escapade. Christopher must be searching for the other shoe! The same shoe I hid under the floorboards, kept away with a few other significant items.

Knowing my family would make me walk home after leaving them in the crowd, I ran into the forest. I followed the path, not stopping until the walls of the manor came into view. The cool breeze turned into harsh winds as I sprinted, clutching Christopher's blanket like it was the prince himself.

When I arrived, I shut the front door and climbed up the stairs to the attic. My family was already home, but I paid them no mind.

I flung the attic door and almost threw the wooden floorboard. My smile faltered at the content. It was gone.

The glass shoe was gone.

"Looking for something?"

My head snapped to the source of the voice. Father was leaning against the window with the show in hand. The darkness of the attic shadowed his face, but from his cold demeanor, it was obvious he was smirking.

I frowned as he examined the shoe, tilting it left and right.

"What a beautiful shoe. I wonder how you got it? Especially right after I made sure every formal clothing piece you owned was destroyed," Father said.

I held back a few curses.

"This shoe is such a marvelous thing. In fact, I could not break it no matter how much I tried," Father continued, taking a few steps towards me.

"How did you find that?" I glared.

"I'm not dumb. I notice when a boy is lovestruck. You were so in love, that you forgot to clean the stairs yesterday. I found you staring at this thing with a floorboard pushed to the side," he explained with a chuckle.

I almost punched myself in the face. How had I been so careless?

"You were the mystery boy, weren't you?" Father asked, his cold eyes finally meeting mine.

I did not answer.

"And after everything I had done for you!" he shouted suddenly. "You took this chance away from me! Away from Daniel and Abigail! And you continue to defy my orders."

Father slowly walked to me with an expression of disdain.

"You are a servant; a lowlife, a peasant, a mistake. You are not my son, and you never will be," he spat.

I jerked my arm out, trying to take the shoe. Father laughed as he stepped back. He walked around me, avoiding my desperate attempts.

Stopping at the attic door, he sneered, "Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson."

Father took out a key, making my eyes widen. He quickly left the room and slammed the door shut. I heard a harsh click as I ran to the door. I tried to open it to no avail, tears threatening to fall out of my eyes.

"No!" I yelled as I shook the doorknob. "Let me out! Please!"

I sunk to the floor and sobbed, holding Christopher's blanket tight. I curled up into a ball on the freezing wooden floors. The warmth the blanket usually gave me could not fight against the cold actions from Father.

The image of a disappointed and desperate Christopher haunted me. I pictured him crying without my embrace—an embrace he was looking all over the kingdom for.

I sighed in relief as the image left, but it was quickly replaced with a vision of Christopher happily married with someone else.

Maybe he was not looking for me. And if he was, I knew that after the search he would have to leave me behind.

Not bothering to carry myself to bed, I cried until I drifted into sleep; the only reassurance being that I would be starved to death before I got to see Christopher married to another.

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A/N - Poor Adrien :C