CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A/N: Edward must make a decision regarding his fate, and the impact it will have on Cinderella.

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable dialog, or any situations which might have been borrowed.

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Edward reached the Chateau de Paldrine the following morning, well rested and ready to continue the search for the maiden he was destined to marry. He gripped the fragile slipper in his hand, praying to the fates and any gods that were present that all things would work out.

It was a perfect day, the Prince had to admit. The sun was shining upon the lush, green carpet of grass. The flowers, having been drenched with dew drops from the Dew Drop Fairies, glistened as the sun shone its light on them. The sky was a brilliant, robin's egg blue; in fact, it was a blue that the Prince swore he had not seen in many a year.

Yes, the day was perfect. In fact, if the Prince had the aura seeing eyes of a fae, he would have said, too perfect, as if someone were trying to use magic to cover up horrible portents that were gathering in the clouds and the ground.

But the junior ruler had the simple eyes of a human, and as he made his way up to the grounds at the edge of the House of Paldrine, he knew none of what could be.

Prince Edward's squire's grey eyes darted nervously about. Some humans could sense danger, in the scheme of things, and this human was no exception to that rule. He let go of propriety to touch the royal's arm.

When Prince Edward turned, the squire said, "Master…let us abandon the search for today, or at least, let us go to another residence, for now."

Edward's chocolate eyes regarded his servant. He had known about the squire's penchant to sense trouble; that was why he had brought Montgomery with him.

"What is it, Monty?" the junior ruler asked. "Are there ruffians afoot?" The Prince drew his jeweled sword from its sheath.

Montgomery wildly shook his grey head, saying, "No, melord! I can't put me finger on it, but I have misgivings. I think something terrible is about to 'appen!"

His countenance grim, Prince Edward looked at the grounds beyond to see if he could spot anyone lurking about. No ruffians, nor any other folks were in the vicinity. The Prince then looked at the flora and fauna in the woods. Although his vision was limited, the Prince saw no dangers in the plantlife, nor in any animals. It was after a third gaze that the chateau caught his eye.

He saw a medium sized dwelling, with beige stones that were worn and not in good condition. The roof, which was constructed with white stones in the more traditional rectangular shape, had more than a few rocks missing. Although the patch of grass in front of the chateau looked as though it was tended, the carriage to the left of the dwelling was damaged on one side (though its door didn't look too bad, the junior ruler decided.)

He could see that the chateau had three floors—or four, possibly, since he also saw a red wooden door which was bolted shut. The red door was at the bottom of some stairs and those were comprised of rocks that were scattered about, making descent from the outside hazardous. The uppermost floor had an opening and it was not covered with any materials used to shield them from the elements.

On the whole, Edward thought, the residence could use a lot of improvements, but as for being evil, he didn't think anyone would have any malevolent tendencies toward anything.

Feeling immensely relieved, Prince Edward put a comforting hand on his squire's shoulder.

"'Tis nothing," he tried to assure Montgomery. "You are easily scared, I think. But, we need not stay long...".

Montgomery inwardly sighed. He didn't like this turn of events one bit, but there was nothing he could do.

"Yes, melord," he said.

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Inside the chateau in their bedroom, Grissy and Dalena, along with the Stepmother and a strangely silent Cinderella waited for the Prince. They had heard amongst the gossip mongers that he was headed for their general direction, and that he was less than two hours' journey away.

Grissy looked bored with everything as Cinderella straightened the hem on the older girl's maroon colored gown; Magdalena looked scared. Suppose Cinderella spoke and convinced her Prince that she really wanted him?

Unaware that some other quirk of Fate lay in the air, the Little Cinder Girl was now staring ahead, wanting to tell anyone who'd listen about Griselda's ugly schemes and being forced to be silent, but Cinderella didn't know how she could do it.

Trillion, wherever you are, do something to put things right! She thought.

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Away in the low lying hills of Duckland, a young fairy put the finishing touches on the meeting between the Mother Duck and her babe. Trillion concentrated, willing his magic spell to turn out all right, so that the baby duck who'd lost his way would be united with his mother. But as he spoke the enchanted words, a plea reached his elfin ears.

Turning toward Max, he said, "Did you hear that?"

Max shook his head. "I heard nothing."

"It sounded like Cinderella," Trillion said. "Maybe she is in trouble."

"So might this mother be if you do not finish your task," Max cautioned.

"But..." Trillion started saying.

"You need to complete this," Max advised. "I am certain that, if you heard her, the call was exaggerated. Besides, there are other faerie folk who can aid her."

Trillion wasn't sure he wanted other faeries, particularly male ones, attending to his client. What if someone else took his place in her heart (or at least in her thoughts)? He suddenly pictured the wrong type of fae helping her out: the type who was an evil, Toxic one who sometimes preyed on unsuspecting humans, doing favors in exchange for horrible deals that mankind could not afford to make. He wanted to be sure, to go protect her from all harm. But, he could not leave Mama Duck in a bind. Trillion focused once again on his magic spell, complex though it was, and set the currents and eddies that would take him and Max to the little duckling. Once that was done, it would be child's play to send it to its mother.

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At the chateau, Montgomery withdrew the lengthy pieces of parchment pronouncing the terms and conditions surrounding the trying on of the slipper. The pieces constituted seven whole pages, and the Prince envisioned a lot of yawning on his part. But Edward knew that everything had to be spelled out for the Stepmother as the guardian of the house, and for the young maids as well.

Monty knocked three times. The door opened to a middle aged woman with white hair and a haughty attitude. She quickly banished her usual expression however into a subservient one.

"Your Majesty," she greeted very formally, her voice deep and extremely reverent.

The Prince took her extended hand, his eyes looking briefly at the wrinkles that were on her pale fingers. Aldemyne regarded Montgomery curtly. The servant did the same. He was used to those who thought themselves above his station. He was thankful that Edward did not regard him that way.

The Prince's generous lips brushed against the fur cuff she wore below her wrist. Dropping her hand after a moment's pause, Aldemyne bowed respectfully.

"You honor us with your presence, your Highness," she said softly.

"Quite," Edward replied. "You may raise your head, Madam." The stepmother did so.

"Will you both come in?" she invited. Prince Edward followed her retreating form, with Montgomery trailing not too far behind.

"How many occupy this dwelling?" the junior ruler inquired as Montgomery fought off the sense of foreboding he had and pulled out the documents.

"There are three nobles: myself, of course, and my daughters Griselda and Magdalena, and an odd assemblage of commoners," the stepmother responded. Edward sat on a settee near the fireplace.

"Commoners...?" Edward asked, raising a brow. It was then that he caught a glimpse of Cinderella. "Serving girl, I would ask you what..." the Prince didn't get a chance to finish his inquiry, for Aldemyne responded quickly, "I mean that my servants are of common stock and not worth your concern."

When the Prince looked as though he would object, the Stepmother hastened to say, "I am certain you have more pressing engagements elsewhere after you have visited with us."

"I would speak with all eligible young maidens, Madam," the Prince reminded Aldemyne. As he regarded Cinderella again, a feeling of familiarity surfaced. "Have we met before?"

Her appearance was haggard. She had soot all over her face and dress, and her hair flew in every direction. Usually, Cinderella tried to keep her rags as neat as a pin and her one tattered skirt as clean as possible even if they were old, but she had been cleaning the fireplace that day. That chore always made her look more ratty than she really was. Because her face was covered with grime, Prince Edward did not know that she was the Angel he had danced with.

Not looking at her stepsister Griselda, the Little Cinder Girl said, "Nay, milord. It is an honor that I dream not of."

The Prince looked as though he were contemplating something about Cinderella, but just as quickly his eyes regarded the stepmother as he asked, "You said that you have two daughters?"

Aldemyne responded, "Indeed, I do your Highness."

She saw Griselda and Magdalena out of the corner of her eye. Griselda looked as haughty as ever, her garish colors making her rotund figure and her pink pallor stand out more than ever. The elder sister wore her orange, long skirt with its three buttoned vest proudly though it did nothing for her. Her hat with its plume was too small for her, and it made her large round face even rounder. In contrast, Magdalena's light purple dress was quite attractive, making her pale skin glow. Her long, flaxen tresses were slightly curled and hanging down her waist. When the Prince saw her, the hardest thing he did was avert his eyes.

"Lady Magdalena, is that correct?" he inquired, coming over to help her down the rest of the stairs.

"Magdalena, yes, but not a lady," she corrected. With a teasing expression, Magdalena added, "at least, not yet."

Montgomery cleared his throat, indicating Griselda. The Prince looked up at the older girl. "Forgive me, I did not see you." He apologized to her. "You grace this house with your presence, mademoiselle."

Griselda chortled but then fell silent when her mother gave her a stern look. The Prince motioned Montgomery forward, saying, "Read the parchment."

As the servant read the terms and conditions therein, the Prince withdrew the slipper. Cinderella's eyes were filled with longing at the sight of the second glass slipper. Though Max had presented her with it, the fact that Trillion had made it for her meant more to her than any other gift. She felt a moment of indecision; should she say something to the Prince?

"Your Highness..." Cinderella started saying. Griselda managed to control the look on her face, but her eyes told a different story. Her step-sibling fell silent as she caught the murderous thunder in the older girl's dark eyes.

Edward asked, "Yes?" When Cinderella said nothing, the Prince prompted, "Well, what is it that you wish to tell me?"

"I..." Cinderella said. She bit her tongue inside of her mouth to resist the urge to reveal everything. After the Prince turned away from her, Montgomery finished reading all of the conditions for becoming the Prince's bride. When he withdrew, the Prince tried the slipper first on Griselda.

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Outside, the King's horse pulled up in front of the chateau. He sighed, knowing the task that lay before him.

Edward the Second saw the Prince's horse and gave it some carrots that he withdrew from his sack. "I wish I could be unaware of the sacrifices which have to be made in order to avoid war." He said, as he watched the horse eat. The animal neighed; the King petted it on its head, watching its tail swish.

"Let us get this over with," he said to Cumerbund, his servant. The older man secured the horses.

"Highness, must we really do this?" Cumerbund asked.

"Yes, my squire, yes," Edward the Second said. He knew that this news could undo every chance he had tried at having a relationship with his son, but priorities were priorities.

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Inside, the Prince had finished trying the shoe on Griselda. The obese girl tried in vain to squeeze her foot into the shoe, but try as she might, it would not fit.

"Your feet are quite large, mademoiselle," the Prince said.

"Well..." Griselda said, trying to come up with an excuse, "it is the dancing at the balls! My feet are normally smaller, but they have swollen to twice their size! You can understand that, can't you?"

Her eyes pleaded with the Prince and Montgomery to understand. They went to Magdalena, however. She put the ornamented shoe on her foot, hoping that she was the right size. Moments later, she started walking, albeit slowly, as though her foot was in pain.

"It fits!" The Stepmother proclaimed. But Montgomery wasn't certain.

"Mademoiselle, is your foot paining you?" He asked. Magdalena gave a curt nod to the negative. Soon, however, she gave a small cry and the shoe slid off of her foot. Her massaging of it was all the two men needed to know.

The Prince was inwardly very disappointed, but he forced himself to rise above it. He knew he could not allow his personal feelings to interfere with the proclamation that had been made. Reluctantly, his chocolate eyes found Cinderella's.

"Lady, you would do me the honor of trying this slipper on," he said. Cinderella looked at Griselda, who moved closer to her.

"Remember..." she hissed in her step sister's ear.

Taking a small breath, Cinderella lied, "My liege, it could not be mine. I would not have been at an event like that."

Griselda piped in, "she's just a servant, an urchin, Your Highness! You would stain material so rich with a foot as common as hers?!"

The Prince said coldly, "The proclamation refers to every eligible maid." The other women waited with mixed expressions: Griselda, with anger that her plan was unraveling; Aldemyne, with a calculating expression as to how she could plot her way out of a horrible situation such as this; and Magdalena, with a pleading expression to the Fates that Edward could still be hers.

Eyeing a broom in the far corner, the Step Mother's eyes lit up with a plan. The Prince walked toward Cinderella, saying off hand to Griselda, "No maid's foot, whether nicely shaped or ill shaped, is common." He looked at her green eyes, and for a moment, her bedraggled appearance faded away.

"Do not be afraid," he said softly. As he got nearer, he failed to see Aldemyne's hand reaching for the broom. A moment later, Prince Edward the Third's legs shot up into the air and, before anyone could catch it, the slipper crashed to the ground, shattering before Cinderella could try it on.

"Madame!" The Prince exclaimed when he saw who had tripped him. Aldemyne assumed a look of innocence. The Prince looked helplessly at Cinderella, who was anything but distressed.

"Your Highness," she told Edward, "you need not worry. I gave the remaining slipper to my step sister."

Griselda sputtered, trying to figure out how to pay Cinderella back for this treachery. But she knew that eventually, the Prince and that dimwitted male servant of his would find out everything. Magdalena looked at her step sister with frosty disdain, but she didn't say a word. The elder sister reached into her pocket and gave the shoe to Prince Edward the Third.

When the shoe fit like a glove, Aldemyne, wanting to find favor in Cinderella's eyes, abruptly changed her tone toward the little Cinder Girl by saying, "Congratulations, child! I am so fortunate to have a daughter like you, for this is a blessing to all of us! We should celebrate, you and I!"

Before anyone could speak further, a knock came at the door. The Little Cinder Girl opened it to reveal the father of Edward and his servant.

"Father!" the Prince shouted. He waited until Cinderella came over to him and said, "You are just in time to meet my future bride." Though the Prince's tone was jubilant, his eyes told a different tale. It was clear to his father that Edward did not wish to marry the girl who fit the slipper.

"Your Majesties," Cinderella greeted, bowing. The remaining three women either bowed or curtseyed. When they had risen, Edward allowed a brief glance at the woman he loved. Perhaps, he thought suddenly, there could be a way to avoid a relationship with the wrong girl.

"It is good that you have arrived, Father, as I would speak with you privately," the Prince said. The King nodded, but before they could withdraw outside, Cinderella spoke up.

"Your Majesties, I wish to speak," she said softly.

King Edward II prompted, "Yes, child? What do you wish to say?" He saw sadness in her eyes but was not certain of the reason behind it. He said, "Surely you are happy to be my son's wife."

Cinderella tried to choose her words carefully. "I am very grateful for every kindness bestowed on me, and for having such a worthy royal person as my future husband. But, I am not certain that I would be able to accept such an honor at this time."

Aldemyne's jaw almost dropped. Did her step daughter just refuse the Prince's hand in marriage?