Twisted Tales: Cinderella

Chapter Five: An Unlikely Friend

"I can explain, Princess, please just don't throw me in the dungeon." Genevieve's mind continued to reel at the thought of having to either lie to her Princess or tell her the truth. Neither option was truly preferable to the girl, and she just stood there with her mouth hung open a little, her lips parting then closing like a fish.

"Well?" The Princess finally spoke again, this time an amused smile formed on her mouth because she could see how flustered Genevieve was. This was going to be interesting, to say the least. 

"I-I just had a really bad day, Your Highness. If you would please have some mercy, and let me leave without ever thinking about this ever again, I would be eternally grateful." Genevieve pleaded, her hands clutching the dirtied dress till her knuckles turned white. She was the epitome of nervousness as she waited for the Princess' reaction to her plea.

Princess Serena looked the poor girl up and down, and pity was written across her face as she saw the state Genevieve was in. Slowly, she took the muddy and destroyed shoes from her hands and, even though she got dirty herself, took the hand of Genevieve.

"Come on. Let's clean you up."

Genevieve was shocked to say the least. She had never been shown kindness like this before, let alone by anyone who was royal. As Serena led her back into the glorious ballroom of the palace, Genevieve was glad that they weren't spotted. The thought of any more nobility seeing her as she was and most likely yelling at her was not an appealing thought. 

"What's your name?" The two girls were walking up the staircase that led to the Princess' chambers when Serena broke the silence. 

"Genevieve." 

"Well, it is very nice to meet you Genevieve. I'm Serena. Is it okay if I call you Genny?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Serena. Call me Serena, please."

"Yes, Your Highness." 

Hearing this, the Princess gave an melodramatic sigh and Genevieve couldn't help but smile. Serena began to prepare the bathtub, and when she had finished pointed out where the soap and other items were to Genevieve. 

"Wait, this is all for me?" Genevieve had never experienced something like this, a grand bathtub filled to the brim with bubbles and warm water. The Princess smiled and nodded, before slipping out of the room to give her guest privacy.

"Enjoy, Genny, and when you finish come back in my room and I'll find you some clothes!"

Happily giggling, Genevieve slipped into the bathwater and stayed there until it went cold.

After her lavish bath, Genevieve wrapped a towel around herself and entered Serena's room. The Princess was reading a book as she waited for her new friend, and upon her arrival jumped to her feet, slamming the book shut.

"Perfect! Now, try on this dress." Serena handed Genevieve a beautiful but simplistic green gown, one that she didn't wear any more. Genevieve accepted the garment and returned a few minutes later.

"Don't you look beautiful!" Serena clapped and led her over to the chair in front of her vanity, where she began to brush Genevieve's long hair. Normally, the girl kept it in a bun for working purposes, and it especially felt unusual to have someone else brush it for her. She was so relaxed, she was about to fall asleep when Serena interrupted. 

"Alright, Genny. Tell me what caused you to be sobbing and muddy in my garden."

Genevieve began to tell the tale as I have told it to you, up until the point of the fountain. Serena was shocked to hear that her lady-in-waiting would declare the Baldachin shoes unwearable without even consenting her mistress. 

"I love your shoes Genny. All they needed was a little cleaning, and now they're wonderful. Of course I'll wear them to the ball tomorrow night." The thought brought back all the hope to Genevieve in a rush, and she was ecstatic. Everything she thought she had lost several hours prior had been regained by the making of this unlikely friend.

"Thank you so much, Your Hi-Serena. It means the world to me." The Princess had just put down the hairbrush before Genevieve gave her a tackling bear hug. The Princess collapsed under the force of Genevieve, caught by surprise. They both landed on the floor in a fit of laughter. Just as they calmed down, Serena spoke once more.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected!" And they began to laugh once more.

-

"Genny, I have some errands to run in town. Do you want to come along?" Serena asked Genevieve after they had cleaned up Genevieve's muddy work clothes, but unfortunately her cloth shoes were unsalvageable. 

"Sure. I'm positive it'll be fun." 

The girls were exiting the palace when they ran into Serena's younger brother. He was the age of seventeen, the same as Genevieve, and one year younger than Serena. 

"Hey sis- Who's this?" The prince was intrigued by the unknown stranger, and couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. He kept his polite composure by instead turning to his sister and seeking answers.

"This is my friend Genny. Genny, Warren. Warren, Genny." Serena pointed to her brother and new friend in turn, and they nodded in greeting to each other.

"Where are you two going?" Serena told Warren that they were headed into town to run some errands, and all the while Genevieve had remained silent. 

"Well, have fun." With that, Warren continued on and left the two girls on their journey. Serena thought nothing of the encounter, but Genevieve was just as curious about Warren as he was about her. Regardless, the two entered town and completed their mission, and it was the most fun Genevieve had experienced in almost her entire life. She had never gotten to have a friend, as her parents died when she was young and Madame Claudia enslaved her the minute Genevieve could work.

"Thank you, Serena. It's been wonderful. I'm glad you will wear the shoes tomorrow night, but I should be getting back."

"Nonsense! You must stay the night. You're the most interesting person I've met in months!" Genevieve smiled at her friend, and allowed herself to spend the night at the palace.

What could it hurt?

(A/N: Hi guys! I am so sorry that it's been forever since my last post, and I won't give you guys any excuses other than the fact that I'm a huge procrastinator and it's my fault that I couldn't sit down and write for you all. I have the entire plot finished for you just sitting in my sticky notes, and the only thing that's taking me so long is that I'm too lazy to write it out for you. Hopefully you'll accept this chapter and I'll be more punctual with my updates next time! Next chapter, we see some more interaction between the Princess and Genny, and a very unhappy Madame. I hope you all are as excited as I am! Also, hope you enjoy the Super Bowl today! Go Falcons! (I'm a Steelers fan lol)