A Cinderella Story (Part 1)

Chapter 10: The Castle (Merellda's perspective)

I followed the carriage-driver to the castle door. He held the door open, waiting for me to step inside. I tentatively stepped in, and he only nodded, once, before closing the door once again. I looked around. And it was just... incredible. I was dumbfounded, to say the least. Even our house seemed bland, unnoticed, compared to here. Everything, from the miniscule, shining fairies zipping around in the air to the glowing flecks of jade and sapphire in the walls, emanated magic. And I couldn't help but love it.

For years, I had feared the outside. But now? I felt that maybe, just maybe, I did have a chance in this bizarre, weird, but wonderfully beautiful world.

But then I remembered that I had a life. A purpose. What about Mother? And besides, we always knew Sofinne would be the one to venture out and bring back the treasures and goods she found with her mermaid and fairy friends. She was the one who had the bravery, the charm. She was practically perfect for adventure. And me? I was just the other one.

But how about Audrey?

My eyes widened. I had completely forgotten, I needed to be Audrey. No moping around, quietly following in others' steps. Now I would be confident, humorous, kind. In a way, kind of like, well, Elliana. I pulled out the biography, reading it one last time before it mattered the most.

MISSING

Audrey Floriver

Reward: 10,000 coins

A beloved princess, daughter, sister, and fiancé, Audrey is sorely missed. She was last seen in the kingdom of Bryxton Cove, specifically at the beach. She is considered the fairest girl in the land, with the same light brown skin-tone, laugh, and harvest-gold eyes as her twin sister, Abigail, but has soft cream-blond curls. She also has a cherubic look, with heart-shaped lips, rosy cheeks, and thick lashes. She loves animals, but is skittish around blood and big bugs, especially spiders. She has a kind nature and will help anyone in need, but has a fair share of love for herself, and knows her strengths and weaknesses. She may make brash decisions and insult those who she has a disliking for, believing she is protecting the innocent and standing up for the greater good. She may have a lot of confidence and fire, but she has a sweet and good heart, and we wish her home safely as soon as possible.

I took a deep breath.

Suddenly, a servant boy stumbled in.

"P-Princess Audrey! You're back!"

He flushed red after stuttering. I heard a snicker from the hallway he had just came from. I knew what was going on. I almost nodded politely, maybe smiling a little, so he didn't feel so embarrassed, but then a thought rang through my head, loud as a bell.

You aren't Merellda Remington anymore; you're Audrey Floriver, confident and brave.

I straightened up. That was right. And I was ready to make a difference.

I cleared my throat.

"You can come out now."

I was surprised when my voice came out loud and clear, but not so much when two more boys, one wincing sheepishly and one smirking devilishly, walked in.

"Why, what do you know? Princess Audrey is back!" The latter said obnoxiously.

I glared, but remembered what Mother's last words to me had been:

"Audrey may be brash, but she has a sharp brain, a silver tongue. Be charming, careful about your words, and, most importantly, do not be yourself. Confidence is of the essence."

The second-last part really stung. But I knew it was true, and I had to do whatever it took to be successful in this mission.

"What, did you miss me?" I asked, all innocence and sweet smiles.

He rolled his eyes, clearly irritated.

"Don't waste a moment thinking so, Princess. Hugo, Gabriel, c'mon. Let's not disturb our dear lost Princess. The soldiers should be arriving to protect the helpless maiden at any second."

He beckoned the other two boys to the door and strode away, simmering. However, the introduction left me feeling vexed. The way he had emphasized lost had made it obvious he believed something about "my" disappearance was off. And the fact that people were already suspicious was worrying.

Pushing aside my negative thoughts, I thought back to the map Mother had shown me and Sofinne.

My bed chambers should be just about...

I looked up. Perfect, door 47.

Here.

I knocked on the door.

"Hello? It's M... uh, me. Audrey."

At the silence of the room, I figured it was safe to go inside. So, I stepped inside, and was, once again, amazed.

I've stayed at a hotel once before, when I was really little and Sofinne was not yet in our world. I had thought it exciting and fun, but the room was small, dark, chilly, smelly, shabby, and hollow. Before I had stepped into the carriage and embarked on my journey, I thought the castle rooms would be the same: Swamped with cobwebs, constantly dripping ceiling, no clean, warm water, or much of it in general, providing only a linen sheet for a bed, no light of the natural, electric, or magic variety. I was wrong.

The bed chamber looked like a lounge, complete with not one, but two beds, a couch, an elite, top-notch holo-projection entertainment device, a wall to ceiling shelf of books with a ladder, a bathroom, a walk-in closet already stocked with clothing and accessories and room to spare for other clothes and changing, multiple tables and cushioned chairs, a kitchen with a glittering countertop and island in case you didn't want to order food or something else with the calling bell, and more to discover.

I set a timer on the Holo-Tap. I had a whole four hours to kill until dinner. Time to explore.

First was the closet. I knew that ladies and princesses changed clothes according to the task. Yes, it could be unwise to eat in a white dress and gloves or play cricket in a frilly dress with dozens of layers, but it seemed a little unpractical to wear something you would have to change out of every time you had a snack or walked down a flight of stairs. This could get annoying, but it was only one night. I would survive. I just needed to figure out my wardrobe.

It's only dresses, I thought. How hard could it be?

I stepped into the closet. Ridiculously hard, it turned out. My mind was openly debating whether six racks of clothes and two shelves of accessories and shoes was good or bad.

Part of me was aghast at the sight. I was horribly indecisive, and this was a lot of choice. It would take over four hours to sort through them and decide between them. Besides, knowing myself, I would look through the clothes of the best designers in Caelfall and somehow pick the ugliest and most clashing combination.

But the little girl in me wanted to squeal and start trying on the dresses and jewelry. This was a childhood dream of a lot of people. Did I really have to ruin it?

So, being the diplomatic person I am, I did a little bit of both. Yes, I just referred to myself as three people, and no, I am not a complete wacko.

I sorted through the clothes, finding outfits that suited the occasion and activity, then went and tried them all on. I had to admit, the hours just flew by. And yes, I had fun. Now there was only fifteen minutes, I slipped into the gown I had chosen according to the dinner invite and sat down to wait. Why did it feel like the first four hours were ten minutes, and the next ten minutes were four hours? I slid off my bed, grumbling, and went to visit the bookshelves. They were mostly just academics and theories, but the last bookshelf was purely of the fictional genre. I skimmed over the titles. The Adventures of Jane Berlough, Tales of a Mermaid Princess, Denny the Dauntless, Violetta Redstone and the Mirror of Fate, Never Steal from a Witch, How I Became a Zombie, and Property of AF. I squinted at the last one. All the books were familiar, except for this one... I pulled it out. The front was empty except for the same mysterious letters, AF, in a flowing script. I flipped to the first page.

Dear diary, this is Abigail and my first day at the Caelfall castle. I'm so excited for the Winter Dance. I hope—Ding, ding. I looked up. It was the Holo-Tap. I stood up and walked to the door. However, before I stepped out, I hesitated. I glanced back at the diary. Soon, I'd be back. But first,—I squared my shoulders—dinner.