Cinderella and The Shape Shifting Mice

Chapter Fourteen

Ella

I ran into my room and pried the floorboard away. I quickly stashed my shoe away in the little box and put the board back on. I took off my tattered dress and threw it in the wardrobe, slipping my nightgown on. I flicked off the lights, hopped under the blankets, and curled up into a little ball.

I had kept my window open, a perfect view of the palace from where my bed was. I'm sure to a lot of people the palace represented a lot of things, but to me it represented hope. Hope, that maybe one day I'd be able to get out of this stupid house. Hope that I could take control of my own life. Hope that no one would ever boss me around again. And tonight, when I was with the Prince, I got a taste of what that could be like. Of someone being kind and gentle and interested in what I had to say and not what they wanted me to do. And damn was it wonderful. All I had really wanted was a night out in something in that wasn't rags, and boy did I get way beyond what I asked for.

I heard the car pull up in the driveway and then the front door opening and then slamming closed. I sighed and shut my eyes quickly, trying to go back to those gardens. Back to the Prince.

"Cinderella! Cinderella where are you?" Mary shouted from the foyer. I turned over quickly away from the door, pulling the blankets up to my chin as I heard her loud footsteps making her way up the steps to my room. She threw the door open and I closed my eyes, trying to make my breathing even.

I felt her presence as she stood over me, staring down at my sleeping form. It seemed like almost an hour until I heard her walk away and slowly close the door to my room. I decided to keep my thoughts naive, and fell into a blissfully deep sleep.

The Prince

I paced my bedroom in my PJ's, turning the glass slipper over and over in my hand. There was a knock at my door and Sam entered.

"Is there anything else I can do for you sir?"

I gave a small laugh and leaned against the edge of my desk. "Find me this girl." I held up the slipper and Sam gave me a small smile.

"The one that got away, huh sir?"

I shook my head and set the shoe on my desk "You've got no idea." I turned and looked out the window, over the gardens and up to the hills in the distance where E said she lived and studied the garden and the palace when she was bored. I watched the cars driving along the streets and was suddenly struck with an idea.

"Sam!" I turned around and clasped the edge of my desk in excitement. "Send out the guards, quickly! She had to have stopped into a restaurant or bar to call a cab. Find anyone who knows anything about her, and find that cab driver! I want to find her, soon!"

Sam nodded. "You want to send them out now? It's almost three in the morning."

I shook my head. "As soon as the sun rises in the morning. I don't want to spare any time. People forget details quickly."

Sam nodded and left the room, leaving me alone in my thoughts. I wanted to go out and find her. Not because my father was pressuring me to marry, but because she seemed like such an interesting individual I'd love to get to know better. And those parting words.... If she was the sunset I was the horizon. And she called me the smooth one, that was pure poetry.

I briefly thought back to the girl I had met in the market and realized I hadn't seen her at all. As I climbed into bed I figured I'd visit the market place tomorrow and see if Ella knew the mysterious girl I had danced with last night. Everyone went through the market, and if Ella worked there often she had to know at least something.

The Mice

I watched quietly from a tiny hole in the wall as Mary paced in her bedroom, eyebrows knotted together in thought. She was scheming something, I knew that much. The woman was awful, and would go to almost no end to achieve what she wanted, no matter anyone else's feelings in the matter, even her own daughters.

"I've got it!" She said allowed. Suddenly the phone rang and she ran to pick it up.

"Hello? ... They are?" she gave a wicked smile and I narrowed my eyes. "Well that's just wonderful. Yes, I already have a plan in place. ... What is it?" She looked around the room and I shrunk back a little in the hole, straining to here what she was about to say.

"Why, I'm going to go to the court myself and suggest that the Prince pick 15 girls who resembled the girl he danced with and have them in the palace with him. They go through some simple tests, have a charity ball or something where he picks his bride, and boom. I have the crown!" She gave a wicked laugh and I had to hold back a squeak of alarm.

The Prince would never agree to do anything of the sort, he was too good of a man. But as I sat there and thought it through, Mary's plan was almost genius. It was a wonderful publicity stunt, tons of coverage from all over the country and possibly the world. Trade and travel would spike, hoping to get a coveted invitation to the charity ball, while these girls practically battle it out for the crown and the Princes hand. If all went according to her plan, he could possibly even pick a girl that wasn't Ella.

I turned and ran over wooden beams, hoping along ledges to get up to Ella's room. If now was a time to reveal who we were, it had to be now. If anyone deserved that crown, it was the girl who had actually won the Prince's heart. She had to tell him who she was, at any cost.

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So this was kind of a short chapter, and that was a completely insane plot twist for the theme of Cinderella, but I hope you guys stick it out with me a little longer! I promise to try and not disappoint.

Vote and give me your thoughts on the plot so far, I love to here back from my readers!

Love,

Anna <3