Cinderellion (bxb)

Chapter 1: Of Course

I had to rebel in the small, unnoticeable ways.

So, I brushed off all the dirt and dust from my hole-ridden slacks and jacket onto the expensive Kashan rug covering the halls, just what my Stepfather hated. It was afternoon and I had finished my chores, I was due for 'family time' in the parlour. Which is the single stupidest thing I had ever heard in my life, considering not one of the people in that over-decorated estate was even close to being family to me.

I picked a piece of straw out of the scratchy wool of my jacket and was one step away from the carved arch doorway into the parlour when a word stopped me in my tracks.

"...mother had."

This word came from my stepbrother, Drury. I stepped behind the wall to listen further.

"There couldn't possibly," his sister, Anastasia, responded. I'm about to step in, but the next thing my stepsister says caught my attention. "They wouldn't still be infected, would they?"

"I wouldn't take any chances Anna; we have no idea how long the disease lingers."

"Surely it has not lingered for thirteen years, Dru. I really want mother's ruby and rose gold earrings; they would match perfectly with my new dress. Nothing else I have does."

Of course, why would they have been talking about my mother. But... infection. Their mother died of infection? "Anna, surely you have some other jewelry that will match..."

"Ellion."

I jumped and turned to find Lord Mayson Tremaine standing by the other doorway to the parlour. "Stepfather," I said with politest smile I could force. What

I really wanted to do was curse him out for being so creepy. Really, he looked like silver stick bug that someone stuffed into a tailcoat.

"Are you waiting for something?"

"No, Stepfather, I was just-" I brushed my hand down the rough fabric of my jacket "-dusting myself off."

Lord Tremaine gave me a onceover, not bothering to hide his disdain for my existence. His hands, folded in front of him, briefly clenched but quickly loosened again. Rebelling didn't seem so appealing right then. "Well," he brought his fair eyes back up to mine, "do it outside next time. No need to make more work for Ms. Beaudin." It's Mrs. Boudon, but I didn't feel like correcting him just to get a welted cheek.

"Of course, Stepfather."

His lip curled slightly as he looked me over again, his eyes flashing with something I couldn't discern, and then he turned and walked into the parlour, looking like someone shoved a fire poker down his throat. I sighed and followed into the room where Anastasia and Dru were still arguing.

"Please, Dru. Just ask one of the servants to get the chest from the attic."

Dru just sighed and took another sip from his teacup. Not getting anything from her brother, Anastasia turned to her father where he was pouring himself a drink that was not tea.

I sat down in the chair furthest from the two siblings as Anastasia whined, "Daddy, may I look through Mother's jewelry? I need something to match one of my dresses and I could've sworn Mother had—"

"Yes, yes," Lord Tremaine said absentmindedly, turning towards us with a knuckle's length of clear liquid in a crystal glass, "Ellion could fetch the trunk sometime, couldn't you boy?"

Like I have a choice. "Of course, Stepfather." Anastasia turned to me as if she just noticed I was in the room, which is a trick she used to make people she disliked feel inconsequential. She looked at me with a fake smile and her too-close eyes, which are a family trait along with the