Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella: Happily Ever After

Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful

Prince Christopher POV

"To tell you the truth, I almost didn't come myself." I said leading her through the garden.

"Well how can the prince not show up to his own ball?" She replied.

"Don't you think it's a little medieval? Everyone's circling around as if I'm some prized bull they were trying to rope in." I state sarcastically. She giggled softly.

"Go ahead laugh but this is serious. If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with someone, well she's got to be........" I trailed off.

"Well she's got to be exciting." She said with a dramatic twirl.

"I guess." I chuckled.

"But sweet." She continued.

"Not that sweet." I said chuckling slighty.

"And your devoted servant forever and ever." She said sitting on the bench.

"Servants I've got. What I need is someone I can talk to." I answered.

"You know what I wish, I wish......" I got cut off.

"You know what's the trouble with most people? They sit around wishing for something to happen instead of just doing something about it." She said.

"You're right." I replied before kneeling before her.

We shared an amazing kiss and then she ran off, its only midnight. I followed her inside and up the ballroom stairs. My parents sent encouraging words as I blew past them. A few girls and women reached out in attempts to hault my pursuit. I just had to know her name.

I ran down the hall and out the main door. I was halfway down the stairs when I stopped. She was gone. I turned walking up the stairs when a glimer of light caught my eye. A shoe sat on the stairs at my right-hand. I picked it up, this was my only way to find her.

Entering my bedroom I disrobed and lay across my bed. I stared off into the night sky. I watched as all of the carriages left containing our guests. I guess mother was right about the ball tonight.

"Chris I sent the guards after her. I hope they find her."

I turned to my father smiling warmly. He nodded and left the room. I needed the peace, only thoughts I want to be consumed with is her.

Cinderella POV

I fled the palace on foot. I didn't stop until I was in the village. That was brief of course, just to catch my breath. I ran all the way home. There was no time to daydream my family would be home soon.

Within the hour they arrived. Bragging about the ball and their time with the prince. I of course knew they were lying. He spent the entire night with me. I let them continue their ridiculous stories, laughing silently. I told them how I imagined the palace to be, which earned confused faces.

My stepmother had just sent the girls to their room. She even laughed at the fact a prince would choose me as a wife.

"My father......." I was cut off.

"Your father was weak. He filled your head with silly thoughts and dreams that will never come true. Never. Now clean this place up its a sty." She rebuked before retiring to her room.

The tears fell as I walked through the kitchen to our backyard. Her words had hurt my soul.

"Father, I know I promised I would never leave here but after tonight I don't see how I could stay. If you only knew how she's changed, you would understand. I deserve better father. I deserve to be loved and that's what I found out tonight. That's all that really matters." I said before weeping again.

"Cinderella, if you really love him why don't you let him know?" Fairy Godmother said in comforting tone.

"How can I? Look at me." I answered.

"Do you really think he fell in love with your fancy gown or pretty braids?" She questioned.

"I don't know anymore and if you hadn't helped me........" I was cut off.

"You didn't need my help. You just thought you did. Believe in yourself Cinderella and trust him to love you as you really are." She said before disappearing.

Her words comforted me. She really believed I was worthy of a prince. Definitely a better mother to me than Vivian. She only cares about her biological children. She wasn't always that way. There was a time I believed she loved me. I was always included in family events.

That was until my father died when I was 12 years old. I wept silently at his bedside for a week. After that she became distant and cold hearted. I was obedient and always have been but this time she went too far. I'm leaving in the morning and that's final.

I went back inside and cleaned like I was asked. Once everything was done, I sat in front of the dying embers of the fire. I placed another log on it to warm up the kitchen.

I kept thinking back to the kiss. The tingling feeling still present on my lips. His warm embrace. His intoxicating scent still lingers on my skin. The way his soft hands caressed my face. Not to mention the passion that I felt translated through his soft lips. I loved him to the core of my being. I just hope he felt the same. I needed him to feel the same. There's a possibility he has sent guards to find me. I did hear horses as I ran home. Even if we never see each other again, I will never forget this night. I drifted off to sleep in my little chair.

The Next Morning............

I woke up to my stepmother yelling. I attended to her and the girls before returning to the kitchen. I closed the doors behind me. Pulling out my mother's purse, I began packing my things.

Half an hour later I heard voices in our living room. It sounded ridiculous from where I stood. I looked up when I heard the lock on the doors click. I guess she was trying to hide me from whomever was out there. It didn't matter to me anyways I was leaving. Taking one last look around, I placed the purse on my shoulder and walked out the back door.