Chapter 9, the search

Danny looked hurtfully after the carriage that held his love Lindsay. Why did she leave so abruptly? He thought. He looked down to see her lost glass slipper. The crystalline rose on it glinted in the light. He picked up the delicate shoe and smiled, he now knew that he could find his Princess. He walked back into the palace and rejoined the ball in politeness; he noticed all of the beautiful young ladies and danced with them in turn, but the whole night his mind was stuck on finding his Princess Lindsay. The next morning, he searched out Prince Reed and Haylen. Haylen wore a diamond ring that Reed had given her as she would become his Princess. "Haylen, do you know where Lindsay is?" Daniel asked.

Haylen hung her head and sighed. "I do but I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Danny calmly asked.

"If I tell you my mother will kill her. You can use the shoe though. I love her too much to see her killed."

"All right," The Prince said. "Adam!" he yelled.

"Yes your highness?"

"Set out a proclamation. Every girl that was at the ball will try on the slipper until I find my Princess."

"Right away your highness." He promptly left. Reed and his Princess were discussing their wedding plans. Haylen now wore a beautiful red gown of lush velvet; she was now considered a princess since she was engaged to the youngest prince and now lived in the palace.

"I can tell you though, that she, and my horrible mother and sister, live in the Bloomfield area." Soon-to-be-Princess Haylen said.

The prince thanked her as the couple in question continued to discuss their wedding plans. He immediately called a carriage and changed his clothes. "Adam! Have you sent out the proclamation yet?"

"Not yet your highness, I was just getting it onto a scroll."

"Change it to 'all the ladies from the Bloomfield area'."

"Right away your highness," Adam went about making the changes as the prince embarked on a carriage heading to the Bloomfield area. He went from house to house allowing all of the young ladies try on the slipper. No matter how many girls tried on the slipper, none of them fit it quite right. He was down to only a few houses when began to doubt Haylen's answer. Does she love her enough to flat out lie about the whereabouts of her sister? He thought.

He came to a house with a lovely tower and garden. He was about to knock on the door when the door opened to reveal none other than Kendall with one shoe off already. Her mother was on the sofa in a hideous dress.

"All right, let's get this over with." Daniel said. He took the delicate slipper off of the pillow and attempted to put it onto Kendall's huge foot. It wouldn't fit.

By now Rikki was becoming irritated. "Cinderanna, Come down here and help Kendall!" she ordered.

Lindsay emerged from the kitchen and tried in vain to put the slipper on her sister's foot. "I'm sorry mother; Kendall's foot is just too big." She had reason to know, the slipper belonged on her foot.

"Lindsay?" the prince asked, recognizing her voice. Lindsay turned and stared into the face of her true love.

Lindsay started to speak when her mother covered her mouth. "She is not the one you're looking for, she is simply a maid. I know for a fact that she didn't go. I locked her into her room and only let her out this morning." She claimed.

"I demand that you let her go this instant." Daniel ordered. Rikki very reluctantly let go of Lindsay. The prince was about to put the slipper on Lindsay's foot and claim her for his bride when Kendall took the slipper out of the prince's hand and threw it across the room, causing it to shatter on impact with the stone wall.

"You'll never find her now." Kendall haughtily answered.

"Oh, I think he can." Lindsay said. She pulled out the other slipper from her dress pocket. The prince put the slipper on Lindsay's foot. It fit perfectly. Right after he put the slipper on her foot, the broken one pieced itself back together and magically found its way onto Lindsay's other foot, more proof that she was his Princess. As soon as she stood up, she felt Stella's magic again as she magically transformed into what she had looked like at the ball.

"Cinderanna, you're the princess of Montana? Huh, than that makes me queen and I say that you will not marry the prince. Now get into that kitchen and clean it completely in thirty minutes or else you will get no supper." Rikki commanded.

"No, you are not the queen." Daniel said. "You married the king after his queen died, so you are only a lady, you cannot tell Lindsay to do anything now."

"I am her mother and I say that she will not marry you, do you hear me?" Rikki screamed. She was looking for leverage; she had none as soon as that slipper fit her step daughter's foot.

"Good bye lady Rikki." Lindsay said as she and Daniel went to get her things. They grabbed Haylen's belongings and all of Lindsay's old dresses. As they left Lindsay ripped her mother's locket from Kendall's neck. They left her house for the last time and shared a kiss before they entered the carriage to go to her new home that she shared now with Haylen. They arrived at the palace half an hour later to great cheers from the crowd. Haylen and Prince Reed were at the gates to greet them. Daniel helped Lindsay off the carriage and let her hug her sister. "Thank you." Lindsay said through tears.

"It was the least that I could do." Haylen said.

They weaved their way through the crowds and ended up in the garden. Daniel set Lindsay down on a marble bench and knelt down on one knee. He retrieved a velvet ring box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond and sapphire engagement ring. "Princess Lindsay, I fell in love with you the moment that you curtsied after I saved you all those years ago. Would you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my bride and Queen?" He asked.

Princess Lindsay answered in one word. "Yes" she breathed. The entire kingdom erupted in tears of joy on the news that, not only had the lost Princess Lindsay been found, but, she was also marrying the crown Prince. Lindsay and Danny shared a kiss as they thought of the impending wedding and trip to Lindsay's kingdom to reinstate the royal family.