A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Thirty

The first day back at the castle had gone better than Charlotte had suspected. She was settled into her old room which had been cleaned and organized to perfection, she was given a brand new, pretty, frock to wear, and she joined her stepfamily for tea. At tea, Charlotte was on guard for anything she might do or say to upset her stepmother but the queen was in a very good mood that afternoon. She was smiling and speaking sweetly to both girls, going on about how she missed both of them and was glad to have both of them home. It made Vagatha so happy and Charlotte as pleased as well.

"I am most eager for tomorrow night." She had said. "To see your father again after so many years and to see you all dressed up like proper young ladies, it's all a wife and mother could hope for."

"Father won't arrive til after dark?" Charlotte asked,

."I'm afraid so, but think of the surprise it'll be for him to see you and Vagatha in all your finery. I want to ensure that you look divine for the ball. In fact I've arranged for the hand maids to begin preparing you first thing after lunch tomorrow."

"You're too kind Stepmother."

"Nonsense. I want my daughters to have the very best. Speaking of which, we're having your favorite meal tonight Vagatha. A pheasant with walnut stuffing."

"Mother you remembered." Vagatha gasped with joy.

"How could I not, my treasure?"

She embraced and kissed Vagatha, doing the same with Charlotte. Perhaps the fair-skinned princess should have been relieved by Desdemona's treatment of her but something just didn't seem right about it. Since the beginning, Desdemona had never given Charlotte one shred of affection, never a hug and definitely never a kiss, not even in front of her father. She had also never referred to Charlotte as her daughter or planned anything special for her.

Now she wanted to believe that her stepmother had changed for the better. That she really did want to be a good mother figure to her and welcome her back with open arms but instinct told her to be wary.

After tea, Charlotte wanted reacquaint herself with the servants and explore the kingdom, she hadn't seen much of it during the coach ride, but Desdemona insisted that they spend the remainder of the day together and Charlotte knew that there was nothing in all the world that could have made Vagatha more happy. That entire day filled her stepsister with an in-measurable amount of joy, only the presence of her grandmother could have made this day perfect.

The next day, right after lunch, two hand maids lead the girls to their chambers to ready them for the ball.

"Just wait til the king sees you my lady." The hand maid said to Charlotte, a woman she did not recognize. But then again she had not been in the castle in so long so she would most likely not know all the servants.

"You will look divine." She said.

But the hand maid's treatment of the princess did not make her look as such. She rubbed Charlotte with walnut stain that turned her skin dirty and oily, smeared her face with a vile ointment that resembled ash, and tousled her lovely blond hair to look like a rats nest. The dress she was given to wear was worn and old, it's green color faded and drab. She looked like a filthy beggar girl.

"What a transformation." The hand maid smiled.

"Do you have a looking glass?" Charlotte asked. "So that I may see just how beautiful you've made me."

"Oh come now, my lady." The servant chuckled. "A girl as lovely as you has no need of such vanities surely."

She then subtly hid the only mirror in the room into her apron pocket.