Bitter Hearts: A Dark Cinderella Retelling

Twenty One

The Beginning
   
    The water felt cool and refreshing against her hot skin and she wished she could stay in the water forever. An impossible thought, her stepmother would never permit it.

She lay on her back floating in the water her mind occupied with thoughts of her father. He said she was going to be great but here she was stuck a slave to her stepmother and sisters. Life was too unfair.

She got out of the water wringing her low grade Ankara dry, hoping the long walk home would dry it enough not to be noticed by Duvessa. Her back was still sore from the last beating.
She took the path that weaved through the forest even though it was longer so she could smell the rich scents from the forest and she could pretend that the broad leaves shielding her from the sun could also shield her from the terrors at home. She hurried down the path hoping to be home before Duvessa and her sisters return from their shopping spree at the cloth market.

The familiar white and black checkered mud walls loomed ahead and Mia prayed that there was no one home. No one was home. She breathed a sigh of relief and made her way to the sheep stall. They were due for shearing and Maria, a sheep she was fond of was due for delivery. She was filling their troughs with water when she heard that all too familiar cackle. They were back. She hurried with her task and rushed out to welcome them.

"Welcome Ma," she said to Duvessa kneeling.

"Welcome Zenaida, welcome Zenobia," she continued.

"Did you do the task I asked you to do?" Duvessa asked a kneeling Mia.

"Yes Ma"

"Swept the floors?"

"Yes Ma"

"Fed the chickens?"

"Yes Ma"

"The other animals?"

"Yes ma"

"Milked the cow?"

"Yes ma"

"Filled the pots with water?"

"Yes ma"

"Prepared lunch?"

"Not yet," Mia said dejectedly and almost immediately Duvessa landed a slap on her cheek.

"Not yet! Is that what feeding you and keeping a roof over your head deserves?" Duvessa asked scornfully.
Mia said nothing in return  making Duvessa's blood boil.

"Answer me you good for nothing child," she screamed.

"No ma, I'm sorry ma" Mia apologized not really meaning it.

"Get the girls clothes and have them properly arranged"

"Yes ma."

       ~•~•~•~•~•~

Mia was serving the afternoon meal when they heard the town crier;

The King is inviting every young unmarried maiden to the Prince's ball where he will pick a maiden to be his bride and our next queen. Every maiden that is of age in the kingdom no matter her status or family background is required to be in attendance. It is the royal decree of the King.

The Manchu women listened with different thoughts going through their heads. Duvessa thought of the power she would hold if one of her daughters was picked by the Prince, her daughters thought of the life of luxury they would enjoy if he picked one of them and Mia, Mia thought of how she would finally have a fair chance in life if he picked her, maybe being Queen was the greatness her father had foreseen in her life.

"Can I go?" Mia asked her stepmother very excited.

"Hmm well the King did order every maiden in the Kingdom to be in attendance so I can't stop you from going," she said thoughtfully.

"But..." She said when she saw Mia break into a wide smile.

"You have to finish doing all your chores"

"I have done all my chores" Mia replied a little too fast.

"Well I have a new set of chores for you to do" Duvessa said smiling maliciously.

So Mia was put to work scrubbing the stable, washing their clothes, sweeping the floor, harvesting ripe fruits off the trees, filling the pots with water, breaking coconuts to extract the oil and water, grinding spices and lots more. Duvessa had given her an impossible list to finish but she did it. She did every miserable chore she had been asked to do just so she could attend the ball. It wasn't just a ball to her but a shot at life.

Finally done, she hurriedly took her bath in the bath house behind the house, she scooped water from a large calabash(earthen pot) and poured it on her naked bronze body letting it wash away the sweat and dirt that had accumulated on her skin. She scrubbed herself extra hard wanting to appear clean before the Prince.

Drying herself off she rummaged her wooden chest for something to wear but everything thing she owned was tattered and faded. She was losing hope but she came across an Ankara dress her father had gifted her. She had never worn it because she thought it was too precious and should be saved for a special occasion and probably because it was too big at the time he had bought it. It was a long green patterned dress with slits at the side and a plunging neckline, it flowed in the wind with its flowing sleeves and long train, it looked like something a goddesses would wear, maybe the goddess of nature. Feeling pleased with herself she tied her hair up and wore the only piece of jewelry she owned, her mother's earrings.

She stepped into the family room the same time her step family stepped in. Duvessa was shocked to see Mia standing dressed before.

"I see you're done with your chores?"

"Yes Ma, isn't my dress lovely, Dad bought it for me" she said excited twirling around.

"Yes, it is a lovely dress" Duvessa said thoughtfully.

"Come on then, let's go" she said calculatingly, motioning for Mia to walk forward. Mia gleefully walked ahead happy that she could at least enjoy a night of fun even if the Prince didn't pick her. She felt a pressure on her dress and before she knew it the sound of cloth ripping filled the air around them. Duvessa subtly removed her feet from where it was resting heavily on Mia's now torn dress.

"Oh my! Sorry dear child," Duvessa said patronizing the poor girl.

"What a pity, you can't attend the ball anymore," she continued laughing under her breath.

"Come on now girls, we have a Prince to catch" she said walking forward her daughters cackling after her.

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