Cinder (lgbtq WP "Once Upon A Time..." Contest)

Chapter Seven

It took the heir over a month to visit each house in the kingdom individually to try on the shoe. They were beginning to lose hope.

"Frederick what if I never find her? This shoe is just too big!" Alfred asked, getting desperate.

"You think you're in a bit of trouble here? Your sister won't leave me alone asking me if I found that girl she was talking to at the ball!" The retainer laughed a bit, trying to lighten the mood. "I never knew Amelia was so fond of other women!"

"Maybe because you never payed enough attention. I've known for a while!" They laughed in return as the coach pulled up to the final house near the far border, a small cottage home to a mother, her two daughters, and her stepson.

Alfred looked out at the lovely garden leading to the grand door. A cat ran around loose, growling at the royal visitors, and exotic birds were flying all around. The heir wondered what kind of person would want such annoying creatures around all the time. Though, they knew they were just about to find out.

Hearing the knock on the door, Cinder ran over and opened it up, almost falling over from shock at seeing who it was. Though, she was virtually unrecognizable from the night of the ball. Her mother had snuck down one night while she slept and cut her hair, and she was covered in ashes from having to clean the fire places at every turn in the cold winter months.

"My liege." She said, making way for the royal party to enter. "You must be here to try the shoe on the ladies of the house. Here, let me summon them."

"Thank you kind sir. This is the final house in the land to visit, so the lady I search for must be here." Alfred smiled, knowing they recognized Cinder's face immediately. It was her.

"Mother! Sister!" She called up the stairs. "The heir is here to try the shoe on you!"

Almost immediately the women of the house came running down, in their most extravagant lounge wear. The three had large fans they used to partially block their faces and had hair bigger than the brain in their heads. Cinder stood by the bottom to present them to the royal party, but noticed that as soon as the princess entered the room, Elise's face lit up. Cinder had never seen her sister get so excited.

"Good day ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you again, this time in your own home." The heir smiled, and Frederick brought over the shoe. "If you ladies would prefer to try it in private, my retainer and I can wait outside."

"Thank you milord, we'll be out in a minute." The mother smiled, and Alfred and their party left the room. "Anna-Marie, please take a seat and Cinder will help you get the shoe to fit, won't he? Elise won't need to try it."

"What? Mother! You promised me that I'd be the reason you get royal riches!" Elise protested, and watched as her mother pulled out a knife.

"Exactly. We'll need your toes to fill the extra space. No one has had big enough feet to fit into it, so you'll have to make a sacrifice for us to be successful in this life." She smirked and grabbed her daughter's foot. A shrill screech was heard and Anna-Marie came out moments later.

She strutted as best she could with blood and toes at the tips of her feet. Frederick helped her down the stairs, but soon noticed the red liquid in the shoes.

"Milord, the shoe fits but not properly. This is not your bride." He stated, and removed the shoe revealing the toes.

"I told you as we came out that neither of those girls were her. I was told that she would disappear after the ball but I did not believe it to be true." Alfred sighed, shaking his head and walking over to the mother. "I'm desperate and I was told by the lady that she was a slave in her home, may I try the shoe on your servants? This is my last hope to find her."

"Our servants?" The mother laughed, fanning herself. "We only have the one and he didn't even go to the ball! My son is hardly who you're looking for!"

"Are you denying a request of your future ruler?" Alfred looked her in the eyes, a look of dead seriousness on their face. "I would like for your servant to try on the shoe."

"Y-yes, of course." She conceded, and took the shoe back in. "You may follow, milord. It's not as if he's the one anyways!"

She led the heir back inside but stuck her leg out just a bit, causing Alfred to trip and drop the shoe. They tried jumping to catch it but it fell on the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Cinder had just finished patching up Elise's toes when she saw the shoe break, gasping.

"No..." Alfred said quietly, looking at the pieces. "First I lose my father and now my chance to find the woman I love!"

Cinder ran over to them, placing a hand on their shoulder.

"You haven't lost your way to find her. Wait here just a moment." She smiled, then ran downstairs to her basement room. She pulled out her box of wonderful things and took out the other shoe, running carefully back up.

She presented Alfred the shoe, her stepfamily gasping in fear as they all saw she had the other one.

"I own the match. You may try it on my foot, it will fit, my liege. I told you I was but a servant, didn't I?"

"I hardly recognized you with the short hair, my love." They smiled as the took it and slid it onto Cinder's foot. It fit perfectly. "You still have not told me your name."

"Cinder, my liege."

"Cinder. I like it, rolls off the tongue. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." They smiled, grabbing her hand and gently kissing it. "And please, I've told you before you can simply call me-"

"Alf. Yes, I remember." She smiled, cupping his cheek in her hands and placing a kiss on his lips. "I guess not all wonderful things have to have ends after all."

"No, they don't. Please, you'll marry me won't you?"

In short, she said yes. She left her life in the cottage at the edge of the kingdom behind and moved into the palace, where she lived with Alfred until the very end.

Elise as well got a happy end, even after how wicked she was. She felt remorse towards what she had done to Cinder, and a new hatred to her mother, and luckily for her, Amelia was looking desperately for her the way Alfred had searched for Cinder.

The mother and Anna-Marie were sent to work as slaves in the kitchens of the palace. They had to live with the consequences of what they had done, and soon withered away as wenches.

Back to Cinder, in the end she loved the heir until their very last breaths together and she lived happily ever after.

The End