Cinderelsa (Cinderella Jelsa Merge)

Chapter 2

Elsa's POV

All that evening and the next day I couldn't stop thinking about the man who paid for my food. There was something odd about him.

I picked up a vase and started dusting it. The day before all seemed so surreal. If it hadn't been for the dirty dishes I had to clean today, I would have figured that the whole day had been a dream.

The vase slipped out of my fingers and shattered on the floor. I stood frozen in horror. Oh no. It was one of stepmother's favorites. What was I going to do?

"Elsa, what was that sound?" Stepmother shouted. I couldn't reply. If I lied, I would be punished. But if I told her I had broken the vase, I would also be punished.

Stepmother entered the room. She looked at me, and then the shards of glass on the floor. Her eyes narrowed.

"Feeling a little clumsy today, are we?" She asked icily. I couldn't meet her eyes.

"That was a good expensive vase. You'll pay for it." She continued.

"But I don't have any-" I started to protest, but stepmother hit my arm with the broom she was carrying. I fell silent, even though it was true. I never had any money of my own.

"The money will come out of the food you eat. And that was an expensive vase. I hope you get used to hunger quickly, or we'll be short on staff. But a replacement vase at the market today." Stepmother said. I looked at the ground. She hit me again on the arm with the broom.

"What do you say to your kind sacrificing mother?" She demanded.

"Thank you stepmother." I said softly. She turned and left the room, apparently satisfied with my punishment. I wiped my eyes with my good arm. I couldn't let the pain show. I couldn't cry. My stepsisters would be watching silently, hoping to catch me abandoning my work and sobbing. But I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. I looked at my other arm. The area where I had been hit by the broom was covered in scrapes, and a large bruise was already starting to form.

I quietly cleaned up the glass shards and threw them away, and then collected the money stepmother left on the counter and hurried out the door.

When I reached the market, I looked for a vendor selling a suitable vase. I figured the glass blower would have a lovely vase, but he had just sold the last one.

"There you are!" A familiar voice called. I looked over my shoulder. The man from the day before was walking towards me. I had forgotten about him meeting with me today!

"I'm glad I didn't miss you. I was starting to worry that you had already left." He continued. I smiled weakly.

"Nope. I just got here." I said. He glanced at my arm.

"That looks painful. What happened?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"That? Oh, uh, I tripped going up the stairs. It's fine." I said.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah. You never told me your name." I pointed out, changing the subject. He smiled slightly.

"It's all about the names, isn't it?" He asked himself.

"I told you my name. It's only fair you tell me yours." I said. He rubbed a hand through his hair.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else." I said.

"Sure, I promise." I said. He grabbed my hand and gently pulled me into the shadow of a nearby alley.

"My name is Jack Frost." He said. I blinked.

"Wait, Jack Frost? As in Prince Jack Frost?" I asked. He nodded. That couldn't be. Prince Jack Frost never left his castle for fear of being mobbed by a band of girls. Every girl for miles was in love with him. Even my stepsisters. He was all they ever talked about.

"But... you're outside of the castle!" I said. He shrugged.

"I can get out of the castle through a secret passage if I really want to. It isn't fun to always be stuck in there. Every once in a while I need a field trip. I know some even the guards don't know about." He said with a sly smile.

"So I'm supposed to believe that you're Prince Jack Frost, and you just snuck out of the castle?" I asked.

"I could show you the passage I came through if you want." He said. I looked over my shoulder. I still hadn't bought a vase. Stepmother would be expecting me soon. If I didn't show up...

I resisted the urge to touch the bruise. If I didn't show up to finish my chores, stepmother would give me worse bruises. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't go with Jack.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." I said. Jack looked a tiny bit disappointed, but he hid it quickly.

"That's alright. Another day perhaps?" He said. I nodded. We both left the alley.

"When will you be back in the market?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't know when I'll go shopping again. Probably tomorrow knowing ste- knowing my family." I said. No need to tell Jack about all the troubles at home.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked. I nodded. He bought the vase with me, and then I waved goodbye and went home. Stepmother wasn't pleased that I took so long to buy the vase, but she kept it anyway. I went to bed that night without any food, but full of thoughts of Prince Jack. If he was who he said he was.