La Petite Pantoufle De Verre 🦋

🦋𝐴 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝐺𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛🦋

Ella and Kit had strolled along the gravel path which many guards had stood alongside, both their walking steps had been coordinating with one another as the sound of Ella's glass slippers lightly tapped the stone as well as the sound of the heels from Kit's leather boots collided seamlessly together concurrently. There were many lit bronze metal flambeaus and flower bushes consisting of lavender, jasmine, orchids, and roses along with many more all around them. Up in the sky directly in front of them was a beautiful bright full moon with its light illuminating the dark clear sky as it shone beautifully on the stone pathway as well as on the leaves and petals of the surrounding flora and projecting its light in every direction, the contrast of the moon and the sky reminded Ella of the scarce purity and goodness in the world as she had not been greeted by those feelings in her home for many years as she had before with her late parents but when she was with Kit she felt his elegance and genuine nature from his kind heart, as he walked alongside her he felt shared feelings as well.

"Here is where I played make-believe wars when I was little, it was different then, you could always bring the soldiers back to life and they had no one to grieve for them," Kit told Ella as they walked together, "With whom did you play?" She asked him happily, "The Captain of the guard, kind fellow that he was. He always spared time for me, and you, who did you have to play with?" Kit replied with a smile on his face as he returned the question to her, "Oh I had so many playmates, the sheep and the geese and all the mice of course," Kit smiled and conversed with her continuously, "Of course, well are they good company?" She replied by telling him how they were all indeed excellent listeners and why indeed an excellent company. He looked into her eyes and smiled while they neared the end of the path which diverged into two directions, he neared the left and insisted that she'd walk onward before him, she thanked him and expressed how beautiful the palace gardens were, "My mother loved it here and ever since she passed my father can't bring himself to visit the gardens..." Ella felt quite sad in hearing this, so she expressed to Kit that her mother too had passed on as well and supposedly she thought perhaps they were both acquainted with one another in the heavens, Kit replied that he felt that there was no reason why they wouldn't know each other. "I think heaven is like the palace ball, everyone's invited to attend no matter the circumstance of their upbringing," she said ever so happily at the notion, he replied expressing that it was the best way to describe such an event and how clever a way to compare it. "Won't they miss you at the ball?" Ella asked Kit, "Maybe, they would I suppose..." He displayed, but he suggested that they'd rather not go back just yet as he was quite content with how his evening had been thus far and surely his father and the Royal court could spare a moment for himself and his guest to spend time together without any cause of trouble nor requirements, and for the first time in many he enjoyed such an event. As they walked they passed many stone statues, small ponds and little bridges, the croaking of the frogs paired with the sound of the fountain water streams was truly lovely as they walked Ella noticed that Kit was slightly distressed, so she asked him what was perhaps troubling him and he told her the unfairness of his current situation. "When I go back...they will try to pair me off with a lady of their choosing." He added that he was expected to marry a princess only for the kingdom's advantage and had to spare no thought for whom he'd marry for love. Ella adhered to this and asked for just whose advantage could it have possibly been for because surely Kit had the right to his own heart regardless of what was to be expected of him..." and I must weigh that against the king's wishes, he's a wise ruler and a loving father as well," Kit told Ella, "Well perhaps he'll change his mind." She replied, Kit smiled and sighed and then said that he feared his father may not have much time to do so as it was foreseen to run out soon...Ella's smile soon slowly faded for she knew all too well of the feeling and was quickly filled with great sympathy, Kit looked into her eyes and realised that they had appeared to be more polished since tears were assembling. Unfortunately, this was beyond Ella's control and she was not able to help Kit with his situation to the extent that she would have liked, but what more was she able to do? All there was for her was to be as supportive as possible and empathetic for this was the greatest virtue. From it, all her virtues flowed and without it, all virtues are an act.

Meanwhile, back at the palace ball, the Grand Duke and Captain were conversing atop one of the balconies about who the mysterious girl probably was. The Captain mentioned what he overheard from the people, they said that she was a princess and that the prince seemed to be quite taken with her. However, the Grand Duke had quite a very different perception of the situation and said that she had gone straight for his highness and that they should both appreciate her "efficiency" but surely if she was indeed a princess as most people quickly thought, this may have been good the Captain said as Kit was expected to marry a person of royalty. As the both of them were discussing this matter with each other Lady Tremaine had seen them from where she stood, so she soon sneakily approached them slowly and quietly, so she came and purposefully pried on their conversation in hopes of attaining valuable information. She heard that the Grand Duke had said that he now already promised Kit's hand in marriage to the Princess Chelina of Zaragosa, he then soon stopped speaking as he noticed someone in the corner of his eyesight, he caught Lady Tremaine but he did not reprimand her at all. She however was prepared for the event and pretended to be very confused. "Forgive me, Your Grace, I did not mean to intrude." She politely said while giving a curtsy to them both, he then insisted that he was the one who should rather be forgiven for speaking in a space where guests may have visited which may have been able to spoil their evening. As he was about to walk off she intentionally stopped him by tapping her fan on his chest telling him that the secret was indeed safe with her, so she said with a mischievous smile. Lady Tremaine unfolded her fan and waved it towards her face to act nonchalant since the Captain was still standing next to her. He then soon followed in the Grand Duke's steps so that they may continue the rest of their conversation in an area more secluded from the townspeople and perhaps speak to any other staff members so that they may gather any useful information to identify the unknown maiden. As they both left Lady Tremaine quickly thought of how she may be able to use this newly found knowledge to her advantage and shortly she conceived something she thought great, her positive smile had quickly turned to one of a malicious nature.

Concurrently at the palace grounds, after some time of walking Kit had led Ella to a space of great importance to himself, "I've never shown this place to anyone..." he excitedly told her, he had taken her to a premise which had stone walls covered in roses and little empty windows where the moonlight had peered through. As he opened the wooden door, Ella excitedly hurried to it. "A secret garden," she joyfully whispered, this space was filled with many beautiful luscious plants such as multiple pink and red peony flower bushes, a swing, a bird bath and one statue along with the beautiful chirps of the birds travelling through the space. Ella said she loved it so much as it was truly very winsome and darling. She and Kit walked towards the swing which the moonlight had shone on as the light peeked through the leaves above them and Kit insisted that Ella sit down so that he could prod her gently. Ella laughed and smiled at his kind offer, she told Kit that she shouldn't, and Kit smiled back and said she should. "I shouldn't", "You should", "I shouldn't", "You should" they both said continuously back and forth. Soon enough Ella gave in and accepted Kit's kind request, she smiled at him kindly and made her way around the swing so that she could sit in a direction where her back faced his body. He held the swing in place by holding onto the rope to secure it for her, she did the same and he asked if he may and Ella replied that he please do. He pushed her gently and she was propelled forward, she slowly swung back down and he again gently thrust her forward. Her dress brushed against the blades of the grass and then glided through the air, and then while she was ascending a short distance from the ground her glass slipper accidentally came off and it rested right in front of her. Without thought Kit left the swing and made his way towards the moonlit slipper, he kneeled, picked it up with a delicate hand and looked towards Ella's eyes. "It's...made of glass," he said curiously, she laughed and said why not? "Allow me," he said, and she thanked him softly. She lightly pushed herself and came forward on the swing, pointed out her bare right foot and Kit lifted many of the seams from her dress revealing her foot and delicately put her shoe back on. "There..." he said and Ella quietly repeated after him.

He remained kneeled and pulled the swing slightly closer, making them both share eye contact. He kindly asked that she please tell him who she really was. Ella responded by saying that she thought that if she disclosed this everything might be perhaps different, Kit said that he did not understand at all and if maybe she could at least tell him her name he would be able to better understand what she had been resisting to say. She looked into his blue eyes, smiled lightly and began to tell him her name.

"My name is-..."