Into the Woods and Down the Dell

SUMMARY: AU: Once upon a time, there was a maiden who lived with her stepsisters. Well, half-brothers, actually. And this maiden was no maiden, but no one, not even his fairy god father, could make that distinction for some reason.

Chapter 1: Cinderella Part 1

Once upon a time, there was a small but prosperous kingdom bearing the name of Balbadd.

Well, formerly prosperous…and formerly a kingdom. The once flourishing country was now in the dominion of the Kou Empire. Kou's subjugation was far from a difficult feat for Governor Ahbmad, who was previously the Balbadd king, had immediately stepped down from the throne and surrendered. It was easy for the citizens to label the current governor as a coward and a fool, but what could a coward and a fool do when in the face of the man with an armada of renowned military strength just upon his land's shores? There was no denying it that Prince Kouen would have Balbadd, regardless of how much of a fight they would put up.

And, honestly, it wasn't like Ahbmad was that great of a ruler. With his inability to care about his subjects and to make good financial decisions, Balbadd experienced rough patches the years under Ahbmad's rule. So what difference did it make having a dwindling economy to having their culture stripped away from them? His brother Sahbmad wasn't much better, and no one paid attention to the third sibling Alibaba who was cast aside to toil his days as a scullery servant the day after King Rashid, their father, had died.

A servant. It didn't offend Alibaba as it should with most—or any—children of royalty. He only had three years of princely treatment after being taken away from the slums, so spending the rest of his days like this wasn't so bad. But he honestly did miss eating high quality food, which Sahbmad was kind enough to occasionally sneak in some for him.

Alibaba, like his first three years in the palace, continued his life of seclusion. Whatever state that Balbadd was in as of now…he only knew from listening in the passing guards' conversations. He often thought about how Kassim and Mariam were doing. Were they alright? Were they eating well? Were they sick? There wasn't much that he could do other than to wonder. He was forbidden to leave the palace.

Then, one day, the halls became bustling with life. As Alibaba awoke from the cinders of where his beddings were, sounds of footsteps rained down on the floorboards. Curious, he approached the door and took a peek. Maids and servants were hurrying down the corridors, each carrying towering plates and bowls and silverwares. He stepped out, careful not to get in the way of the busy traffic, and made haste to the kitchens.

"Ah, Cinderella, you're up," the cook said, looking up from her pot and nodding towards the boy.

Much to his distaste, nearly everyone here had taken to calling Alibaba Cinderella due to him sleeping by the furnace. And why so discourteous towards a former prince? Well, it was hard to say how, but it seemed as though everyone, with the exception of his brothers and a few others, had forgotten about him being a prince. Now they saw him to be just like them—an ordinary and fellow worker within the palace.

"Do you know what's going on?" Alibaba asked, getting started on his daily chores. "Everyone's running around in the halls. Is there something coming up?"

"Ah, you must have just awoken. You see, there was news that the Kou princes will be arriving here the night after this night."

Alibaba froze. "Here…? That's rather abrupt."

The cook gave a grave nod. "It's going to be an important night, nevertheless. Not only will Kou be meeting on Balbadd's shores, but the king of Sindria as well."

"But why is that?" he incredulously asked.

"You should know that prior to Kou's subjugation that Sindria and Balbadd were once good trading partners," the cook said, resuming back to her stirring. "Now with Sindria's source of supply cut off, there's obviously a need of an issue to confront."

"But here in Balbadd?"

"Better to wage a war where it isn't on their own lands."

Alibaba grimaced. He was educated in the ordeals of trades and relationships between nations. There was a reason why Balbadd had strived to maintain a title of neutrality—it had been a successful trading nation, yet a small one. Balbadd wasn't suited to face war, so it kept its peace, which the countries around it respected that. That was what Alibaba knew, but it was years since he had been regularly caught up with current events.

"At least, that's what my husband tells me," the cook continued. "Ever since we've been taken over, it's been nothing but Kou this and Kou that. I can't tell which one is worse: from when he was complaining about how bad a king Governor Ahbmad was or now."

"I don't think that's something you should say, ma'am."

The cook gave a dainty snort. "Oh, what would they do? Throw me into the dungeon? How can they when I'm the only one here who can make the governors' favorite sweet cakes? You don't have to worry about me, Cinderella. Even if I speak out of turn, I'm an old woman. They'll think nothing of it other than nonsensical rambles."

"Right," he sighed.

"Anyway, aside from politics, there will be a ball in the palace before the Kou princes and the Sindrian king have their meeting."

"That's odd. Is it to lower tensions?"

"Likely to make them more susceptible to agreements. And to throw in the bone, all the pretty young ladies are permitted to attend."

"To appease King Sinbad's infamous love for women?" Alibaba said wryly and jealously.

"What else? But it certainly does sound like it would be a thrilling night. Ah, what I would give to be young again," the cook sighed wistfully. "You have a chance yourself, my dear. All you need is a bit of cleaning up and a beautiful gown."

Alibaba held in a groan. "I'm not a girl, ma'am," he said for the umpteenth time (and he wasn't sure why he bothered to keep at it). "I'm a boy."

"Have the maids been telling you that rubbish again?" she tsked. "You may be lacking a chest and shape, dear, but you're just as lovely as any one of them—if not lovelier. Those girls are just filling your head with petty lies."

That did not make him happy.

"Well, I'm not going to the ball anyway," Alibaba asserted aloud, occupying himself with washing the plates after he finished kneading the bread. "I'm not much of a fan of dancing or making diplomatic conversations."

"Now you're being utterly ridiculous. Why skip out this opportunity? You know you'll never get another chance like this."

Because he didn't like dancing or making diplomatic conversations. What other answer could he give? Oh, right, and his brother Ahbmad would burst a blood vessel if he so much saw Alibaba lingering about even on by the edge of the party.

But Alibaba didn't state his reasons. Instead, he just shrugged and continued on with his tasks.

The rest of the evening and the following morning were filled with noisy chatters and giggles. It was a given that the girls were giddy with anticipation. They never had a treat like this before, being able to approach the King of the Seven Seas. He was rumored to be very handsome and very dashing. King Sinbad being present was also a part of the reason why Alibaba didn't want to attend the ball. To see a man being flocked by girls while no one gave him a second glance? A major blow to his ego.

And then there were the Kou princes. Every Balbaddian citizen naturally had mixed feelings about the royal members of the Far East, but that didn't lull the excitement that shone brightly in the young ladies' eyes and actions. It could be because the Kou princes were too rumored to be just as handsome.

As the sun began to set, Sahbmad came to Alibaba with anxious eyes. "I don't know what to do once the Kou princes and the Sindrian king arrive," he confessed. "Ahbmad says to not to worry, but what if a disagreement ensues that will be followed by war?"

The cook's words replayed in Alibaba's head. "If there will be war, then it'll inevitably occur in our country," Alibaba said. His brother tensed. "I don't really know what else can be done other than to hope that all things will go well."

"You must have an idea, Alibaba," Sahbmad fretted. "You are also a prince yourself. Surely, if not me nor Ahbmad, that you some insight to offer."

"Brother, you must remember that I was a prince. I was forced through abdication by Ahbmad when he became governor. My studies in politics were canceled and I'm left with no standing. It's not fair if you turn the situation to my hands."

"I… You're right, Alibaba. Please forgive me," Sahbmad sighed. "It's just… I'm worried about Balbadd's future. I know that I'm no leader, but I still care about my country and its people."

Alibaba gave a sad smile. "I know, Brother, but I'm afraid that the only thing we can do now is to hope and pray."

After the two brothers parted ways, Alibaba headed to the veranda and spent his evening there. Since all energy was directed in the preparation for the ball, there wasn't much that Alibaba could do after having finished making the food with the cook. The head maid was too busy tidying up the place, so he didn't get to hear her scream her head off at him all day.

When the sky was in hues of black and the lamps that hung over the lanes lit up, Alibaba sat up from the porch and gave a stretch. It was a while since he last had a nap. From a distance, he could hear music coming from the building. The ball must have already begun. The palace should be largely empty. He decided to go to the library and filch a few books.

He stood up and turned around. His face collided into a chest.

"Wh-wha—"

Glowing eyes peered down at him. "Hello there!"

Alibaba staggered backwards, his wide eyes taking in the man clad in green before him. "Who—where—"

"It isn't polite to gape," the man reprimanded lightly. "My name is Yunan and I'm your fairy godfather."

He blinked. "Uh. Are you the gardener…?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said that I'm your fairy godfather."

Alibaba was half-asleep—that must be it. He couldn't form a single coherent thought when half-asleep, much less listen to anything clearly. "It's nice to meet you, Yunan. See you around," he mumbled tiredly, about to walk past the man. Or, at least, he tried to.

"Whoa, not so fast, young lady—" Yunan started, grabbing Alibaba's arm.

Alibaba's head whipped around so fast that it caused Yunan to draw his own head back. "What did you call me?"

"Uh—"

"I'm not a 'young lady'," Alibaba snapped. "I'm a boy! A man!"

"Wait, you're telling me that you're not a girl?"

"No!" Why did everyone think that?

Yunan's eyes narrowed. "Really?" he inquired skeptically.

"I'll just prove it to you," Alibaba huffed, his hands about to flip up his tunic, but he was immediately stopped by Yunan.

"No need to show indecency!"

"There's nothing indecent about it when I'm not a girl!"

"Well, that doesn't matter anyhow," Yunan said distractedly, making sure that Alibaba's hands wouldn't drift to the hem of his shirt. "What matters is you hearing what your first mission is."

"Mission? Who the heck are you?"

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm your fairy godfather."

Alibaba scrutinized him. "Well, you do look like a fairy."

"I'll pretend that there wasn't an underlying insult there," he cheerfully said.

"And I don't believe that you're my fairy godfather or whatever," Alibaba continued, folding his arms. "You could be just some weirdo deciding to pull a prank on a non-suspecting victim like myself."

"You're rude," Yunan tutted. "Rashid used to tell me all the time about what a sweet child you happened to be whenever I came to visit."

This man in green knew his father? Did that even matter? Alibaba decided not to comment on that. He would be just prolonging his stay here. "I'm leaving," he declared, pushing past Yunan. "Good night."

"Hold on! I can prove it to you!"

"Not interested."

"Not even when I do this?"

Suddenly, Alibaba's clothes billowed and expanded. He let out a squawk as his tunic stretched and fastened itself around his waist in a wrap. His face tickled, as though something was being brushed and painted onto his skin. The legs of his pants unraveled and twirled around his hips, mending together into a skirt. Even his shoes were altered, turning from rough leather shoes into slippers of golden satin that shaped around his feet.

"What?" Alibaba gasped. He spun around, trying not to think about that draft between his now bare legs. "What?"

"Don't you look stunning?" Yunan said with a grin. "I think you should see yourself too." He snapped his fingers, and out of thin air a mirror was procured. Alibaba would have tripped over something from that trick if he wasn't so stunned to see his reflection.

It…was a beautiful dress. And he was wearing it.

"Why am I in this getup?" he cried in bewilderment. "I—am I wearing makeup? And how did my hair get so long all of a sudden?"

"Hmm, it would be better if we had your hair up," Yunan mused. A second later, Alibaba's hair was lifted in the air and twisted and pinned against his head. "There! You truly do look like a lady of nobility."

"What's going on? Why are you doing this?" Alibaba demanded angrily. "And I don't want to look like a lady! Change my clothes back to normal right now!"

"No can do."

"What? Why?"

"Because this is part of your mission. Now, calm down and let me explain," Yunan said.

"There better be a good reason for this," Alibaba groused, scowling.

"Yes, yes, there is. Now, I'm sure that you believe me when I tell you that I'm your fairy godfather. After all, not many can do what I can do."

"This is a questionable magic you possess."

"Hush! No interruptions! As I was saying… Not many can do what I can do because there are not many magic-wielders in the world."

"Are you saying that you're a magician?" Alibaba asked in surprise.

"I said no interruptions! And no, I'm not a magician. At least, I'm not of that caliber of magic wielders. I'm a Magi, which is someone who can…utilize magic far better than any other magician." He made a vague twirling gesture with his hand.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll learn more later on," Yunan said dismissively. "Anyway, when someone appoints a magic wielder to be his child's godparent, that godparent becomes a fairy godmother or godfather. Not everyone gets the privilege of having one because the parent had to have formed a strong bond with a magic-wielder. Your father and I had been good friends, which is why I was able to become your fairy godfather."

"If that's the case, then why didn't you become one of my older brother's godfather?"

"I wanted my godchild to be a girl."

"I'm not a girl."

"You're close to one, I suppose." Before Alibaba could sputter out indignantly, Yunan continued. "With every fairy godparent, the godchild is then destined for something great. Whether it is to bring a greater promotion in world peace or become a king, the godparent is to help and guide the child towards that goal. The child's destiny, however, is done in forms of several tasks—we call them missions.

"You can say that these missions are the stepping stones to that great future that you're supposed to have. Can't say what future you will have, though. But given your position, I'm inclined to say that you will grow to become your country's savior."

Alibaba's eyes widened. "I could save Balbadd? But from what? From Kou?"

"From Kou, from your elder brother, from any enemies of Balbadd—whatever the title of savior would serve." Yunan shrugged. "You have the potential the change things, Alibaba."

As though Yunan acknowledging him to be a prince and the son of King Rashid wasn't enough, hearing Yunan say his name aloud made Alibaba believe the man in green. Not only that, but, despite the skeptical introductions, he felt that he could entrust his life to Yunan. Which was strange since Yunan didn't appear to be a reliable person, but Alibaba knew for certain that Yunan was someone who would support him.

It was a nice feeling…

Still, that didn't change the fact that he was wearing a dress. "Okay, I believe you, but why do I have to wear this?"

"Because this is the only way to save your kingdom."

"In a gown?"

"How else are you going to do your mission then?"

Alibaba gave him a look. "Shouldn't I be clad in armor with a sword hanging from my side?"

"Goodness, no! What makes you think that you'll have to charge into battle? No, you'll be playing as a spy."

"You mean I'll be listening into some courtesans' conversations?"

"More than that. You'll be sneaking into Prince Kouen's room."

It took a minute or two for Alibaba to recover from his explosive reaction. Sneak into the room of the Crown Prince of Kou? Maybe Yunan was barmy after all. But before Alibaba could retreat back inside and try to erase his encounter with the man, Yunan convinced him into going through with the mission.

"There's a document in a silver envelop that sits on top of desk of his room. While Prince Kouen technically did not steal it, he plans on not returning it to the Reim Empire, especially once he starts reading it."

"How did he get his hands on it in the first place?"

"Some sort of accidental swap with Kou's scroll and Reim's document by a clumsy valet. It's your job to return this document to the High Priestess of the Reim Empire."

"Is that what my first mission is? Where are you getting this mission from anyway?"

"I read it from the flow of the rukh. Now, you mustn't delay. You only have until midnight to finish your mission."

Yunan didn't elaborate what would happen after midnight. Instead, he ushered him inside the palace. When Alibaba turned around with a question on his lips, Yunan vanished.

As of right now, Alibaba was standing behind a pillar, peering at where the festivities were occurring. His stomach flip-flopped uncomfortably. He was not ready for this!

Apparently, the reason why he was dressed this way was because he had to cross through the ballroom. And the reason why he had to cross through the ballroom was because any other passageway to Prince Kouen's room was cut off by his guards. This was the only way that Alibaba could bypass the guards and retrieve the document without being caught altogether.

"Okay, no sweat," Alibaba whispered to himself. "You can do this. It's not so hard, right?"

He took a breather and then marched forward...

And kept close to the walls. He ducked and used the crowds of people conceal himself. While he may look like a girl, that didn't mean that his own brothers wouldn't recognize him.

The crowd was denser where Alibaba could hear the uproarious laughter and female titters. He surmised that King Sinbad was gathering a flock around him, and both Ahbmad and Sahbmad were probably by his side. As for the Kou princes… There were two towering men donning Kou uniform that stood behind a man with a mop of wild red hair. Alibaba wasn't sure if he was a prince or not—his sluggish appearance would indicate otherwise.

Alibaba fisted the skirt of his dress and trekked onwards. He was nearing the balcony, which was halfway across the ballroom. So far, so good.

"Will you dance with me?"

"No thank you. I'm not interested," Alibaba replied without pause, not bothering to look up.

That obviously did not sit well with the man because before Alibaba could keep walking, a large hand seized him by the wrist and jerked him backwards.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Alibaba tried to tug back his arm, but the man had a good grip on him. "I said no."

"The least you could do is look at my face," the man said gruffly.

And so Alibaba did. And he promptly felt nauseous.

He was man of impressive height with a set of broad shoulders, eyes of smoldering fire, and hair as red as blood. And if his robes and crown hairpiece didn't give it away, Alibaba didn't know what did.

Standing before him was none other than a Kou prince.

Or at least that was what Alibaba assumed. Would a prince have a goatee? Seriously, why would he have a goatee?

Before Alibaba could think of an answer to either of his questions, the man then pivoted to the center of the room and dragged him along. Alibaba gasped and tried to dig his heels into the floor in hopes of stopping the man, but it was of little use.

"Wh-what do you think you're doing?" Alibaba squeaked.

"I requested a dance, so we dance," was the blank answer.

"I already said no! A-and I can't dance!" As a woman, anyway.

"Then follow my lead."

Next thing he knew, Alibaba was the center of attention. From the corner of his eye, he could see the stunned expressions on both of his brothers' faces. Standing next to them was a tall man wearing a turban—King Sinbad, Alibaba guessed. Taking notice of Alibaba's gaze, the Sindrian king smiled and winked at him. Alibaba suppressed the urge to shudder, but he couldn't prevent the embarrassed heat rising onto his cheeks.

The Kou prince brought Alibaba close to his chest and snaked an arm around his waist. His other hand—the one that caged his wrist—slipped into Alibaba's limp hand. The instruments began their musical piece, and the dancers and their partners stepped into place across the floor. All except for Alibaba and the Kou prince, who both remained standing there like sticks in the mud.

"Um, aren't we dancing?" Alibaba hesitantly asked.

"I don't know the dance to this song," the prince admitted so frankly that it was enough to rub Alibaba the wrong way.

Whether it was better to feel nervous or irritated, Alibaba didn't know. "Then can we go to the sidelines before the other dancers crash into us?"

His hold tightened. "I'm forced to do only one dance and this is that one dance," the prince growled softly.

"Okay, okay, okay! I get it. But how are you going to dance when you don't know how to?"

"You lead."

"I just told you that I don't—"

"You. Lead."

"Alright, alright," Alibaba muttered, and quickly rearranged their position so that it was Alibaba who was holding the prince by the waist and the prince's hand rested on his shoulder. In answer to the prince's displeased look, he retorted, "You said to lead, so I'll lead."

"You're going to make me dance as a woman." It wasn't a question.

"Are you complaining? We could always go to the sidelines."

The prince gripped Alibaba's shoulder painfully. He gave answer.

"Right then."

Alibaba didn't know where his attitude came from. Was it from spending too much time with the regularly flippant cook? He knew that he shouldn't behave so impolitely towards a prince of Kou, but why he couldn't keep a lid on it much less address to the man of his highness and lordship was unknown to him. Maybe he felt energized from snapping at Yunan, so he happened to naturally carry it over to the prince.

It didn't seem that their conversation went on privately either. The dancers neighboring them kept casting them odd glances, and from the corner of his eye he could see Sahbmad paling and Ahbmad fuming.

Ahbmad looked like a ripe tomato.

It was Alibaba's only hope that he was dancing with the younger brother rather than the Crown Prince. That would be a disaster—him, making the Crown Prince and future ruler of a great military nation dance as a woman. Alibaba's only comfort was that he was disguised (and quite convincingly too) as a woman. He was confident that after chopping off his magically grown hair and rubbing a bit of dirt on his face would give him only a faint resemblance of the woman who the Kou prince danced with tonight.

He really did hope that was the case when a foot stepped on his. Alibaba released a yelp. "Holy—shuffle, just shuffle instead," he hissed tearfully.

The prince grunted.

"I think you broke my toe," Alibaba mourned. He made a point by swaying funnily.

"You don't seem to know me. Are you ignorant or stupid?"

"Or a bit petulant since I've been forced to dance and have everyone's attention on me." And then Alibaba added, "And perhaps more so since my foot is now severely injured."

The prince raised a brow.

"I don't mean to pay any disrespect, your highness," he relented resignedly. "I know that you're one of the two princes of Kou. But that doesn't change the fact that my foot is sore."

"And so is your attitude," the man deadpanned.

Alibaba scowled. "I know well a woman of cheek, but I never knew what a burden it'd be to be the end of the joke."

"You call a Kou prince cheeky?"

The scowl slipped away. He felt a rise of panic. "Uh. Please don't behead me…?"

"Normally, beheading would be the suitable punishment," the prince drawled, and curled his fingers around Alibaba's tighter when the younger reflexively pulled away, "but you amuse me."

"I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't say things like that, my lord," Alibaba muttered.

"Do I scare you?"

"Terribly so. I'm about to keel over. I suppose it is a comfort to know that I'm entertaining in your eyes. I rather like my head on my shoulders."

The prince eyed him speculatively. "I see."

"As any person would," Alibaba persisted.

"As any would," the prince agreed.

"So…I should remind you that I'm not much of a dancer. I might step on your feet by accident, just to warn you."

"I won't behead you for that," he assured. "And you stepping on my feet won't be a problem. I am wearing boots."

"Who would wear boots to the ball?" Alibaba blurted out in disbelief. "Did your servants not think about giving you proper dancing shoes?" Moreover, the prince looked like he would be more presentable in a war meeting than a ball. Unintentionally, he scanned the prince's outfit with a critical eye.

"Are you judging me?"

"Um. Since you said that you're not going to behead me, I'll take the liberty to say that you're unfit to be here in the ball." And that was saying something coming from a scullery servant that was Alibaba. "You look like you'd be more comfortable with a sword in hand."

"And you appear comfortable making remarks about me."

"In no offense, of course," he said. "Seriously, though. Please don't behead me."

Instead of beheading, the prince stepped on Alibaba's foot again.

When the song was over, Alibaba immediately released his hold of the prince and tried to slip away. Unfortunately, he was too slow because the prince had inflicted him with a probable permanent limp. The prince, as he did before, caught his wrist and jerked him backwards.

"You're limping."

"I can walk it off, my lord," Alibaba said, eye twitching.

"I did not think that I would actually hurt you any more than bruising."

"You're telling me you stepped on me on purpose?" Alibaba exclaimed.

"You may be amusing, woman, but you speak too freely."

"I'm not a—!" He shut his mouth, his teeth clicking. "I mean, uh. Please don't behead me."

The prince appraised him with an exasperated look. "You are indeed annoying too. How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

"You just confirmed it once though!"

He pointedly looked down at Alibaba's foot.

"Oh, come on! Verbal confirmation is different than—"

"You brat!" Alibaba flinched and turn his head around to find Ahbmad storming his way towards him. Sahbmad trailed after with a worried expression. Alibaba gulped. This wasn't good.

"I have to get going now," Alibaba said, trying to tug his arm free, but the prince wouldn't let go. "I'd greatly appreciate it if you would release me."

"With your injured foot?"

"That you caused with your great big boot? Yes. Now let go."

"No." The prince swiftly directed his attention to Ahbmad and Sahbmad, who both stilled under his hard gaze, before returning back to Alibaba. "Who are you?"

"No one special," Alibaba instantly replied. "Just a…person who happens to live here in the palace. I'm a maid—yeah, a maid."

He cowed under the prince's sharp glare. "Lies."

"I-I'm not lying—"

"Who is this girl?" the prince asked—no, demanded from Ahbmad.

A sneer broke across Ahbmad's face. "He's—"

"Our little sister!" Sahbmad finished hastily. "She's our little sister."

It took every bit of Alibaba's will power to not slap his forehead. Sahbmad made the situation more or less worse. It would have been easier if he went along with him being a maid.

The prince's hand drifted from his wrist to his shoulder. "What is your name?" he commanded to know.

"Cinderella," Alibaba answered steadily, but his heart was thundering. One lie on top of another.

"I wasn't aware there was a Balbaddian princess," commented a jovial voice. The Sindrian king.

The Kou prince's gaze didn't leave Alibaba's face. "Neither did I."

"Well," Alibaba began slowly, "I don't know which brother you are, so all's fair, I suppose."

There was a tense silence. Ahbmad's face turned impossibly purple whereas Sahbmad appeared to be on the verge of fainting.

King Sinbad broke the silence by barking out a loud laugh. "All is fair. Wouldn't you agree, Prince Kouen?"

Alibaba felt the blood rush out of his face.

Prince Kouen grunted.