Dancing on Glass

Queen of The Air

"Oh my, my, my, this won't do at all. What a mess they created. And this gown would have been so expensive in its time. My, look at this damage."

The distressed words greeted them as Beldon held the kitchen door open for Cinderella and she looked in to see a woman examining the remains of her mother's dress, tutting in disapproval and disappointment.

"Vanessa," Beldon said, "You remember my goddaughter, don't you?"

The maid looked up and her eyes widened and Cinderella stopped as she was struck by the past.

She had met this woman before, back in her childhood. She hadn't thought about it in years – everything from the time before her mother's death felt more like a dream these days; her life had been so different. Her godfather's home, not his family home but the one he called his real home – that really had come out of a dream. She wasn't even sure if she remembered it accurately.

It had been a castle, hidden within a forest, filled with roses and streams and beautiful gardens and a lake, all in the middle of a huge pasture.

He had lived there with another young man, the original owner of the castle. Cinderella had never become very close with that man, she remembered him as being imposing and scary, like some sort of enchanted king – at least in her eight year old mind – but her godfather had loved him, she knew that much, so she knew he couldn't be all bad.

The servants had been wonderful though.

She had met one of the greatest storytellers she'd ever heard there.

Thinking back on it, it was like another world. She almost certainly was glorifying it in her mind but that wasn't sure a bad thing.

And this lady had been there.

She was a little older now though the passing decade hadn't changed her much. Her smile still made Cinderella automatically smile in reply.

"Of course I remember her, look at how you've grown up!"

"This is Vanessa, one of my personal attendants," Beldon said, "Vanessa, for now my goddaughter goes by the name Cinderella."

"Cinderella?" Vanessa said, raising an eyebrow. She looked at Cinderella for a moment, then nodded decidedly. "A beautiful name, I approve of it."

Cinderella looked at her, then her godfather.

"Vanessa, I was hoping you might help her get ready for the ball," Beldon said and Vanessa snorted.

"You don't think I followed you all the way here just to argue with you about your lazy dress code, do you?" she asked, folding her arms and Cinderella stared at her, shocked by the boldness of the comment to her master – knowing full well how her stepmother would react to the words.

Beldon just folded his arms in response. "It's not lazy, it's practical," he argued.

"It's lazy and you know it."

Beldon pursed his lips then very pointedly undid the buttons of his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, making his appearance even more casual then before and Vanessa looked ready to smack him before a thought came to her and she grinned.

"I'll tell Master Luka it was you and not one of the cats who spilt ink over his favourite waistcoat."

Beldon drew in a gasp of true horror. "You wouldn't!"

She gave him a smug smirk and he quickly rolled his sleeves back into place, grumbling something under his breath.

"Come now, darling, let us ignore this child and get you ready for the ball," Vanessa said simply, walking over, barging Beldon out of the way with her hoop-skirts and wrapping an arm around Cinderella, leading her away. Cinderella glanced back to see her uncle preparing himself a cup of tea.