A Thief's Kiss

1| Cinderella

Chapter 1: Cinderella (Aria's POV)

I moved through the crowd, avoiding any collisions with people, sighing in relief as I made it to the shop. I stood at the table while the owner, Mr. Charles, finished cleaning one of the daggers before placing it in the glass case. "What is it this time?" he asked. 

I slipped my hand into the back pocket of my pants, pulling out a gold pocket knife that I stole from someone in the market. It was a man, quite possibly from the palace. There's a word that the prince will be coming down to the village soon anyway. 

He perked up, looking at it closely. "Where did you get this?" 

"I'm a thief. If I tell you where I get the things I steal, you won't pay a penny for selling them to you. Weigh it, please," I sighed. 

He grabbed the scale, weighing the knife. The blade was clearly silver and the grip and details were all made with gold. I have an eye for real pieces by now. 

"I nearly didn't sell this to you, set a good price," I mumbled. 

"No more than five hundred nectars for this. It's worn out and old. Did you steal this from a royal staff?" 

"Who I stole from is irrelevant. Five-fifty." 

"No, five only." 

"Five-twenty-five?" 

He nodded, paying me the money in our currency, nectars, and then taking the knife. I shoved the money into my back pocket and then left, rushing to make it back home. 

I walked in through the door, seeing my aunt sitting right there on her little couch, focused on her sewing. "You've got five minutes until the deadline." 

"I know, I know, I'm coming," I mumbled, running upstairs and pulling down the ladder to my room. To the attic. Where I pay a thousand nectars to stay in. Bullshit. I grabbed my jar and dumped out all the money, counting it quickly. I made sure it was a thousand exact and then put the rest away. I ran back downstairs, holding out the money, sighing in relief. No more stress for this month. 

She counted it, tucking it away into her sewing kit, nodding in approval. 

I won't waste your time explaining everything in detail, but to sum it up, I've been on my own since I was ten years old. Until I was thirteen, my aunt let me stay here for free, in the attic. When I turned thirteen, she demanded I pay her rent or get out. And she set the price at only one hundred. Nectars are like US dollars. And I would say for a thirteen-year-old, that's a lot. But I made it work. 

I didn't start as a thief, I started by working in boutiques and jewelry stores. Then she increased the rent and by the age of sixteen, I was pickpocketing and stealing valuables and selling them to Mr. Charles.

He has an antique shop, at least that's what he says, but it's really just a dumpster for anything valuable. He's known for the daggers and knives he often sells. A lot of thieves in Southton Azura sell to him, including me. 

I'm twenty now, and my rent sits at one thousand. I'm just waiting for the old hag to die because a thousand nectars are not worth staying in an attic. My life has turned into a fairytale, to be specific, Cinderella. I've become my least favorite princess. Cinderella. I do the chores, I live with the she-devil, and I stay in the attic. All for nothing. 

"I'm going out, I'll be back by dinner," I mumbled. 

"Bring dinner, I don't feel like cooking." 

"The last time you cooked was in the last century," I snorted. "I don't have any money to buy dinner, I'll come early and cook." I grabbed my sweater and then left, grabbing my hat on the way out. This hat was my mother's. It's the only thing I have left of my parents. Oh, and the jewelry box that sits in my bedroom. Which is the attic, need I remind you. I pulled the black fedora hat on and left.