Midnight

Eleven

I smiled down at the teapot in my hands where my stepmother couldn't see me. I knew she was quite angry that her daughters didn't get a chance to dance with the Prince, and I still found it quite amusing to listen to what they thought of me.
"And he actually danced with the ugly thing." Drusella said, sounding horrified. I made a thoughtful sound.
"Yes?"
"Yes! It was pity! He was too polite to send her away in front of everyone, you see, but, not wanting to expose himself to the presumptuous wench any further, he took her away from everyone else!"
I couldn't help but giggle at Drusella's version of the story as I poured more tea. I couldn't see my stepmother frowning at my back from behind me.
"But she refused to leave, and the Palace guards chased her from the party!" Anastasia finished the story with loud laughter. "I pity the Prince, such bad taste."

I turned back around and set the teapot back on the table. My stepmother was still staring at me and I was starting to get uncomfortable.
"They belong with each other." Drusella told Anastasia, making me look up in surprise. I wouldn't have thought she would be one to say the Prince belonged with anyone else besides herself.
"Oh it's no matter, girls." My stepmother said smoothly. "The ball was a mere diversion. The Prince is not free to marry for love, he is promised to the princess Selena is Saragossa. The Grand Duke told me himself."
I made the mistake of looking up at my stepmother in surprise. She was watching my face, obviously waiting to see what kind of reaction I would have. I tried to seem sad for the Prince in a natural way without exposing myself to my stepmother.
"That's so very unfair!" Anastasia said, sounding quite upset.
"Yes." My stepmother drawled. "But it's the way of the world."

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My stepsisters went to bed shortly after the conversation about the ball. My stepmother followed them an hour or so later, and it was only then that I took out my glass slipper. I brushed the ash away from the shiny glass of the shoe and hid it in the folds of my dress. Then I hurried upstairs to my attic bedroom where I hid it.
There was a loose floorboard by my bed, so I pulled it up and placed the shoe in the floor. There were a few other things under the floorboard as well, such as the dead tree branch my father wished to give me before he died, and a small journal with a pen.

I gently ran my fingers over the slipper one last time before picking up my journal and pen. I moved to sit on my bed whilst I wrote all about my wonderful evening with Kit.
I knew the beautiful memory would soon fade, and I wanted to remember as much as I could. So I wrote my own account of the story in the pages of my journal, leaving nothing out, and going into as much detail as I was able.
I wrote well into the next morning and as soon as I was finished, I changed out of my ruined dress and climbed into bed.

My eyes slowly closed and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

The morning came quickly, too quickly almost. I awoke feeling oddly rested despite the busy day and night I had just been through. I quickly changed into a clean dress and brushed my hair out before I hurried downstairs and started making breakfast.
I wanted to get to the marketplace as soon as I could, in order to tell Dulcy everything that had happened. I thought about her reaction as I set the table and laid the food out.
I imagined that at first she wouldn't believe me, but then she would be too excited and happy to care. I wish I could have talked to her at the ball, but she wouldn't have recognized me anyways.
My stepsisters came downstairs a few hours later and silently started eating. They were still exhausted from last night and didn't even blink when I told them I would be at the market for the next few hours.

I ran outside and pulled Elspeth out of her pen. I swung onto her and pushed her into a trot down the road leading to the marketplace.
The market was busier then ever and I had some trouble finding an open horse post for Elspeth. I kissed my horse on the nose before disappearing into the crowd to search for my friend.

I found her standing by a vendor who was selling baked goods. She turned around when she saw me and her face split into a wide smile.
"Ella!" She moved to hug me tightly. She held my hand as we walked together and she insisted that I told her everything that had happened last night.
"Were you able to go? Did you see Kit again?"
I nodded excitedly. "Yes I was able to go, my stepmother and the girls didn't let me, but my fairy godmother helped some."
"Fairy godmother? I didn't think they really existed."
"Oh they do, Dulcy! She made me a carriage and horses and even a beautiful new dress and glass slippers!"
"Ella, really, are you sure you weren't just dreaming?" Dulcy looked at me with a small smile on her face. I shook my head at my friend, wanting her to understand.

"No, Dulcy, it really happened. My fairy godmother even disguised me for the night so my stepmother and stepsisters wouldn't recognize me."
"Is that why I never saw you?" The girl asked me. I nodded. "And it's why Kit recognized me and nobody else did. It was some kind of spell."
Dulcy stopped walking suddenly and turned to me in surprise.
"You were the one that danced with the Prince, weren't you? The one nobody recognized?"
I nodded and bit my lip, waiting for her to realize everything was true.
"Was Kit the Prince?"
I let out a laugh and covered my hand with my mouth. I gave Dulcy a happy nod and the girl did everything she could to keep from screaming out loud.
"Ella, what a great surprise!" She laughed with me and pulled me into a mother tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back with a huge smile on my face.
"The Prince looked so taken with you, I think he's in love!" Dulcy pulled away from me and looked me with more seriousness.
"I don't doubt you, Dulcy. I feel the same way for him but...I don't know what to do about it."

My friend was about to respond when she was cut off by a loud voice.
"Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!"
We both turned, along with the rest of the people in the marketplace, to look at the man standing on the brick platform. It was the same man that announced the ball a few weeks ago and I assumed he had another announcement to make. My heart leapt into my throat at the thought of another announcement.
What if it had to do with Kit and I?
The man unrolled a scroll and started to read it out loud in his loud voice.
"Now that our new King hereby declares his love for-"
The man paused and looked over all the people standing in front of him. They were all waiting in anticipation to hear who the Prince wished to marry.
"-the mysterious Princess who wore glass slippers to the ball."

There was a light noise of disappointment from each lady in the audience. But my heart stopped altogether and I turned to Dulcy. She was staring at me with wide eyes and her face slowly turned into a smile.
Without causing a disruption, my friend moved closer to me and took ahold of my arm. She could tell I was nervous and a little shocked, so I just placed my hand over her arm. The man in front of the marketplace continued to speak loudly.
"The Prince requests that she present herself at the Palace at once, where-if she be willing- he will forthwith marry her!"
There was a cheer that went up in the market at the man's last statement. The people were always excited to hear good news for the kingdom. Dulcy cheered along with them, but I didn't make a sound. I was still shocked at the fact that Kit actually loved me.

The people were still cheering as I turned to Dulcy. My friend looked at me, concerned, but she soon smiled when she saw the happy look on my face. Without a word of explanation, I gave her one last hug and hurried out of the marketplace.
I untied Elspeth from her post and quickly mounted her. We were soon galloping towards the house and my mind was racing as we went.
I would have to go to the Palace, there was no other way. I would present my glass slipper and they would believe me, especially if Kit saw me.

My heart pounded with excitement in my chest and my face was hurting from smiling so much.
I would be freed from my life of toil and misery with my stepmother, and I would be with Kit again. I would be married to him, become the Queen, and live the rest of my days with the King, very much in love.