Cinderella vs. Happily Ever After

Chapter 41

            They’d known there was no way they were going to be able to surprise the enemy. There were too many of them in the city and hiding an army wasn’t exactly a simple task. What Valerie hadn’t expected was riding through the city to the sound of cheers, cries of “Long live Armith!” and “Drive the invading bastards out!”, and snatches of music. Once they were hemmed in by buildings on the narrow streets near the city centre, they were treated to a blizzard of leaves, late blooming flowers, and flowers made of paper.

            “I’m glad we decided not to sneak in,” Valerie called, shaking her head and dislodging the paper lily that had landed in the middle of her braid crown.

            Isaac murmured, “Well not all of us that is.” No one heard him over the sounds of the people crowding their windows and doors to cheer on their army.

            She shifted slightly, still a little uncomfortable on the horse that everyone had insisted she ride. It was wider than the one she was used to though nowhere near as bad as riding Rish. The thought of the dragon made her look up, though she couldn’t see either of her new friends with the forest of buildings overhead.

            Their path took them winding down cobbled streets and buildings that gradually got bigger and bigger while the people got fewer and fewer. By the time they’d reached the mansions of the nobles, now all trapped or run off, they rode in silence. Or as close to silence as a column of nearly twelve hundred heavily armed soldiers could march in.

            Past grounds filled with gardens only just starting to be labelled overgrown, past impressive pink stone walls that had their gates half hanging off and past the mansions marked with soot and burned out windows. It was those houses, having been so obviously attacked, that really brought home the reality of the war to Valerie. Other than roving bands of soldiers, life in the city had seemed normal and the villages they’d seen had been practically untouched. But here, here she could see that this had been no quiet occupation but a true attack.

            Riding in the lead of the three, endless looking columns of soldiers on foot, flanked on both sides by the knights she’d rescued, the Ifelian and Vavayan cavalry and Isaac, Enax and Miette, Valerie felt how truly surreal her life had become. Her mind floated, bringing her the image of someone telling her two years early that this was what she would be doing and her likely response. She snorted, picturing herself having that person committed in an instant. Even sitting on her horse in front of them all, she couldn’t really believe she was really leading an army.

            The sight of the palace gates ahead, portcullis down and thick wooden doors shut and barred, snapped her mind back into the present reality. She looked at the gate, noting the men lined up on the wall, watching. She waved Enax up, doing her best not to stare at the guards. “Can you do something about the doors? Or do you know a way to get around them?”

            He chuckled. “I can handle the portcullis easily. Iron is my speciality. The wood though…you will have to find another way through it I’m afraid. I will not waste all my magic on a single endeavour.”

            She sighed and nodded. “Thank you. I look forward to your work on the portcullis.”

            He smiled. “Your manners are impeccable. If you ever get bored of your prince, come see me. I can enchant you until I find you a proper young man.” He rode back to Miette before she had a chance to reply, leaving her shaking her head.

            Isaac moved into the place Enax had just left. “What did my favourite Muggle want with our friendly neighbourhood magic-man?”

            Her lips twitched upwards at that. “To see if he could handle the gate. He says he’s got the portcullis covered but the doors are up to us.”

            “Ah. Well that won’t be a problem. I was talking to Eneric, he is quite nice even if he is sadly straighter than Darren which I hadn’t thought possible,” he said, sighing.

            She rolled her eyes. “Get on with it.”

            He grinned. “Well he was telling me some stories about dealing with the recruits and there are two of them he apparently had to report for blowing up their tent.”

            She blinked. “Blowing up? Their tent?”

            He nodded and now she was grinning. “Excellent! Can you-”

            Isaac cut her off. “Way ahead of you sweetie. I told Eneric to get them whatever they wanted in case we needed anything exploded. Seems to me a stubborn door is just the thing those boys would love to play with. Shall I have Eneric call them up?”

            She nodded. “Have I told you I love you?”

            He chuckled. “Don’t let Darren hear you say that or he’ll have me beheaded.”

            Valerie made a face at him as he rode back, still chuckling. She turned back to the gate, now close enough that she could see the men on top were armed with bows of some sort, the quivers on their backs obvious even to her. She swallowed but focused on what she had to do, trying to shove the fear and worry over all those that were going to die away.

She sighed, one hand gently stoking the part of her shirt that hid the medallion she, and every other person in their army, wore. Enax had brought bags of them, enough for twice their number. He’d spent the time since they’d last seen him enchanting them to protect them from ice magic. None of them would find themselves encased in ice, turned into puppets, have their movements slowed or have their hearts frozen. All were common, or at least often heard of, types of ice magic Enax had said.

Patting the medallion again, she thought it must be its magic that always made it feel warm even before resting against her skin, she looked back at the gate. Noting the distance she nodded to herself and pulled the reins, making her horse slow its walk until it finally halted. They were within striking distance and just out of range of the enemy’s bows. This was it. The final battle of this war was about to begin.