Cinderella vs. Happily Ever After

Chapter 6

            The looks of horror on Nateza’s parents’ faces when they opened the door to find them sitting with their daughter told Valerie volumes about what had been happening in her absence. The fact that they stayed where they were and didn’t immediately rush in to come between them and their daughter made Val sick to think about what must have happened to make them react like that. “It’s alright,” she said. “We’re friends of Nateza’s.”

            The girl nodded. “It’s okay Papa, Mama. Close the door and I’ll tell you who they are.”

            Moving hesitantly and with frequent glances at Valerie and Isaac, they shut the door and slunk over to them, both of them standing at Nateza’s back. Their daughter craned her neck back to grin at them. “Mama, Papa, this is Sir Isaac of Knoll and Sea, and this is Lady Ruby Valerie.”

            The two of them went still for a moment before dropping to their knees, their heads bowed. “Your highness, we-”

            Valerie cut them off, dropping down beside them and trying to pull them back to their feet. “I’m not a princess. I’m not even a lady. I was a normal woman before I met Darren and not much has changed since then. Please relax. Besides, we’re here because we need your help.”

            “Anything, my lady,” Nateza’s mother said.

            “Well for starters, my name’s Valerie, not my lady. Could you tell me yours?”

            The man raised his head to stare at her for a long moment. Then he flicked his eyes to Isaac who grinned. “Yeah, she’s serious.”

            He nodded. “My name is Cort Gerdson. This is my wife Fidessa Jirairdor. You…well you seem to already know our daughter.”

            Valerie sighed. “I told them all to ask your permission. Twice. It seems none of them did.”

            Nateza shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now.”

            She nodded. “You’re right. Nateza stopped us before were caught by one of the patrols. She told us the palace had fallen but that was all. She said you could tell us what’s been happening.”

            Cort nodded slowly, his hand reaching out to grab his wife’s and squeezed it gently. “You had better be the one to speak, dearest. You will know more than me.”

            Fidessa met Valerie’s eyes, hers the same colour as her daughter’s. “The palace fell. Three days ago. None of us in the city know how. All we know is the army came marching through, they blasted the siege doors apart somehow, and took the palace. No one has heard anything or seen anyone from the palace since then.”

            Val nodded, trying to get Fidessa to continue. She didn’t even notice the tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. Her whole body had gone numb.

            Nateza’s mother winced slightly and continued. “I have heard since that the palace has become nothing more than an enormous trap. Those officers who are deep into their drinks have mentioned that the leaders of the invaders are hoping that you, my lady, will simply walk into the palace. Or sneak in. All entrances and exits are watched and no one who is not one of the invaders is allowed in or out. They have spread rumours about everyone in the palace being prisoners in the dungeons but I have heard it said that some people escaped and are in the eastern forest.”

            “And Darren?” Valerie whispered, skin the colour of eggshells.

           “I have heard nothing of his highness one way or the other. I would believe, my lady, that they would do their best to keep his highness alive. At least until they have captured you. They seem most anxious to find you.”

            Valerie nodded, some colour coming back to her cheeks. “They want to pay off the fairy godmother. I imagine she’s breathing down their necks.”

            “Isn’t nice to be popular?” Isaac drawled.

            She glared at him. “I will hit you.”

            “I think I’ll like it.”

            Val sniffed and turned back to Fidessa, turning Isaac’s grin triumphant. “You said there are people in the eastern woods, do you know how many or who?”

            The women shook her head. “No, my lady. I’ve only heard rumours. Are you intending to go that way?”

            She nodded. “If the palace is a trap that’s surrounded by an army, there’s no way we’ll get in on our own.”

            “Will wonders never cease? Valerie Ash is actually proposing we be cautious and not rush headlong into this,” Isaac said, hand fanning himself as he pretended to be shocked.

            “I will hit you hard,” she replied. “But at the least the eastern forest is where the new recruits were sent for training. I’m sure some people will have headed that way. If we go there, we might be find what’s left of the army and pick up any of the people who escaped from the palace. They can tell us what we’re up against. Besides the whole, they outnumber us and they have a psychotic fairy godmother on their side.”

            “What do you need from us, my lady?” Cort asked.

            “Well I’d like it if you called my Valerie. But since it seems that no one will actually call me by my name, I’ll just have to learn to live with it. The only other thing is I wonder if we can stay here tonight? We’ll  leave in the morning when they open the eastern gates after sunrise.”

            Fidessa shook her head. “No my lady, you mustn’t leave that way. The invaders watch that road because of the rumours. You must take the north road and loop around. Travel at least one full day north before turning east. You should avoid their spies that way.”

            “Thank you. When this is all over, if we’re still alive, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded for this. You’re lifesavers, honestly.”

            The couple blushed, looked down, and murmured a disclaimer. Nateza just grinned.