Ever After: A Cinderello Story

Ever After: Part VII - The Next Morning -

"Off . . .off with her head." Queen Francisca muttered to herself, shaking off a dream. The sun was shining full in her face since the bed-curtains had just been thrown open without warning. Her husband leaned over and shook her awake.
"Francisca, wake up. It seems our son has something she wishes to tell us."
Henriqua gave them both a dazzling smile as he began to speak. "Father, Mother, I wish to build a university with the largest library on the Continent, where any person can study, no matter their station."
The Queen studied her daughter and his remark was only half joking. "Who are you and what have you done with my son?" Henriqua shut the curtains, then opened them up again a second later.
"Oh, and I want to invite the Gypsies to the masque!" She left the room before either of her parents could say a thing. The King turned to his wife.
"What happened to her?"
King Mario smiled wisely. "She's in love."

"Where were you last night?" Daniel's eyes fluttered open and he hurriedly closed them again, knowing the sight he saw had to have been a dream. Rodrigo stood before him carrying a wooden broom. Behind him were Jacquez and Martinez. His stepfather jabbed him in the stomach again and Daniel mumbled under his breath.
"I got lost."
"I don't believe it. You're hiding something from me and I demand to know what it is."
"Then, please tell me so I can go back to sleep." Martinez's horrified whine rang out from behind Rodrigo.
"But what about our breakfast?"
"You have two hands. Fix it yourself."
"Why you lazy little leech!" Martinez's scream could have woken anything up. Rodrigo, however, was calm. Had Daniel been awake, he would have sensed that something was not right.
"Jacquez, go boil some water."
Jacquez stared at her mother for a few seconds. "Me, boil water?" Then, he stalked away, grumbling under his breath. "I knew it, I just knew it." Daniel was deeply asleep by this time.

Later that afternoon, he was digging in the garden when Paulo called out from an upstairs window in alarm. "Maestro, you had better get in here, quick!"

Daniel sighed and ran up the stairs, wondering what his stepfather wanted. The sound of voices from Rodrigo's room turned him in that direction. As he stepped in, the sight that met his eyes horrified his beyond belief. Martinez was standing in the middle of the room, holding up the white and gold beaded torero suit that had belonged to Daniel's father! Rodrigo turned to him with a sneer.
"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence." Daniel turned pale.

"What do you think you are doing?" Martinez smiled smugly, testing the torero suit against his body.
"Trying on my torero suit." Daniel's disbelieving expression only prompted Rodrigo to snap at him dispassionately.
"Do you honestly think that after your performance this morning, I'd let you go anywhere?"
Daniel first couldn't remember what she was talking about, then his mind jumped to a foggy recollection of breakfast and boiling water. He couldn't risk tearing the torero suit by grabbing it, so he snatched up the delicate silver slippers from the trunk, holding them to her tightly, like the treasure they were. "These were my father's!"
"Yes, and he's dead." Martinez smile lasted only a fleeting moment, for Daniel's fist lashed out and caught him in the right eye. Martinez let out a piercing shriek as he fell backwards over the bed. However, Daniel was not finished with him yet. Ignoring Jacquez and Rodrigo, standing utterly shocked, he lunged for Martinez, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I'm going to rip your hair out!" Martinez dropped the torero suit on the bed and took off through the door as if all the devils in Hell were after him. Daniel pursued him mercilessly through the corridor, down the staircase and into the dining hall. Martinez, still shrieking, threw chairs and candlesticks at Daniel, who deflected them with his hands as he ran. Finally, they reached the scullery, where Daniel cornered his stepbrother in front of the fireplace.
Martinez suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He made a desperate lunge and grabbed Daniel's worn copy of Utopia from the mantel. He held the book over the flames and spoke breathlessly, his words bringing Daniel to a horrified standstill.
"Get away from me, or so help me God . . ."
"No!" Daniel's eyes met his. "Put it down!"
"Give me the shoes." Martinez now had a bargaining chip and he used it.
Rodrigo had entered by this time, but Daniel was concentrating on Martinez so hard that she did not notice until his stepfather's resonant, commanding voice spoke from behind him. "Consider carefully, Daniel. Your mother's book or your father's shoes . . .though neither will save you from a sound lashing."