Cinder Maid

Untitled Part 2

Cinder strolled down the back country road, basket at hand. The wicker it was made out of scratched her palm. She timed her foot falls so she’d never step in the large holes that littered the street. She hummed the sweet happy tune that her father sang to her when he wasn’t on his long trips. She suspected he learned it from her late mother that died when she was only weeks old.

She slowed, allowing a carriage to pass her by. Cinder smiled and waved toward it but she received no kindness back. She never did. And yet she always continued to wave and smile. It was a simple kindness that she never gave up on.

She looked toward the snow covered trees. They glittered in the morning sun and it reminded her of her stepmother’s many jewels. They were mostly diamond but she always saw the rare ruby or two. Stolen from her mother, no doubt.

Cinder tripped on her long skirt and fell onto the ice covered street. Her bare forearms burned in the freezing snow, reminding her of the winter she was forced to clean all the laundry outside in the freezing cold weather as punishment for back talking.

She got to her knees and tried to stand on the ice to no prevail.

She heard the sound of hooves against fresh snow and looked up.

She forgot how to move.

The carriage was almost six yards away and drawn by five elegant, white horses. Just as the ground was, she was frozen. She had just enough sense to close her eyes and hold her arms in front of her.

“Whoa!” A man with a deep, husky voice yelled as the horses stopped. “What are you doing, girl?”

Cinder opened her eyes and looked at the man driving the carriage. “I asked, ‘What you doing, girl?’”

“I-I sl-lipped,” Cinder said, her tongue not quite fitting in her mouth anymore.

“Well then, get up!” the man shouted at her. He sounded hostile, much like Cinder’s stepmother when she gets irritable.

Cinder’s breathing picked up in speed. She knew what was coming next. “I-I can’t.”

“Well, why not?” He demanded.

“T-The ice is s-slippery.”

“You…” He got up. “Little…” He walked over to her. “Disrespectful…” He rose his hand to strike her. “Peasant…!”

“James what is going on out here?” another man yelled from the carriage.

“Nothing!” the man yelled.

When the man didn’t move from Cinder she heard footsteps on the ice, slowly getting closer until they stopped behind James.

“I see,” said the man. He reached around James and held his hand out to Cinder. She reached up and took it. He hoisted her up onto her feet.

Cinder stopped dead in her tracks. In front of her stood the prince, Prince Theodore.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Cinder, not trusting her tongue, just nodded. Theodore seemed content with that answer and he smiled. James cleared his throat and he and Theodore walked back to the carriage and took off again.

Cinder continued walking down the street, unable to catch her breath until she got to the village.