Soot & Ashes

Fifteen: The Dancing Cat

Susan sat working hard in the yard behind the Dancing Cat Tavern, she was scrubbing up potatoes and peeling them for a broth they were making for all the guests tonight. Holding the knife in her hand, she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm

Life at the Tavern involved hard work and long hours. But Susan was used to that and in turn she was paid, given a warm bed with blankets and clothes that kept the cold from her skin. Instead of looking like she slept in the fires glare, her skin was clean, her hair tidy, her clothes respectable even if they weren't fancy. She was treated kindly and found herself becoming good friends with Sven, who carried the burden of chores she couldn't manage.

Her heart still ached for Theodore, the wood cutters boy. Susan wasn't someone who dwelled on things like that though. Looking back only served to cause her more pain. She resigned herself, instead, to go on without another thought of him.

News of Arabella's engagement to the Prince had spread quickly through out the land. Leaving Sven's heart sinking further in his chest. Both of them being sensible, it was supposed that perhaps they ought to just marry one another if they refused to love again, at least they would have a healthy friendship. Susan was not so keen on the idea, but Sven's parents were quite set on having the two married.

At the Cinders estate, Ivan was pressing Mary for information. "Where did you send Ethel?!" He yelled, shaking fear into the woman before him.

She shook her head, stuttering and stammering for words that wouldn't come. "Nowhere, she went by herself... I don't know where she is!" She lied through her teeth.

"If I find that you are lying to me, I will see you hang for it. I have heard of your cruelty, your schemes. Now you lie to royalty, even had you been a better creature, the penalty is still the same. Now speak, and I shall spare you the noose." Ivan commanded, two guards stood behind him, their hands on the hilts of their weapons.

Defeated and holding a hand up to her throat, already feeling the burn of an imagined rope around it. "The prison... I told them she had stolen from me."

"Very well," Ivan turned to his guards. "Take her back to the palace and hold her there. Her fate will be decided later." He said through gritted teeth before marching out to his carriage. He watched as Mary Cinders was dragged from her house, cuffs put around her wrists. Next to him Arabella sat, swallowing back a knot of fear as her mother was treated so roughly.

The carriage travelled quickly to the prison. Ivan inquired about Ethel Cinders from the guard there. Only he was stifled by the question.

"She... she's not here anymore. Someone came and cleared her name. Took her away." The guard stammered, seeing the agitation in the Prince's eyes. He looked desperate.

"Where is she? Who took her away? I must know!" He demanded, grabbing the collar of the guards cape.

Arabella rested her hand down on his wrist to calm him and searched up at him with pleading eyes. He calmed a little, loosening his grip. "We really need to know..."

They took instructions from the guard and set off once again on the search for Ethel. Ivan's heart was swollen with hope now that he was going through a heavy wooden door with the prospect of seeing his dishcloth on the other side.

He peeked into the room nervously. The Tavern was full of customers, many of them sitting quietly drinking an ale or telling jokes. Right next to the bar counter was a girl cleaning the side, unaware anyone else had entered. The Prince took a deep breath and walked over to her, taking out the gold decoy slipper from his pocket and placing it down on the counter in front of her.

Her eyes lifted to see the slipper and she frowned before glancing up at the Prince. Her eyes filled with joy then as she knew who he was, but she swallowed back her nerves and tried to be coy and quiet. "What is that?" She asked.

"A slipper someone left behind at the ball, someone I'm trying to find." He smirked, seeing the way she blushed.

"Well, I'm afraid it's not mine. I didn't have any to wear. But I did lose a clog." She clamped her lips together, trying to hide the fact that they were trembling.

Ivan's smile brightened as he took from his other pocket her clog. "I'll have to try it on you, to make sure it fits." He said setting it down. She nodded and let him lift her out from behind the bar counter and set her down on a chair his side of it. Her cheeks flushed brilliant ruby as he lifted her skirt up a little to expose her foot and took off the little black shoe she was wearing. Slipping the clog onto her dainty foot, he grinned up at her.

"Unfortunately, this means you'll have to come back to my palace and marry me." He told her, trying to sound grave, but he was bursting with happiness.

"I suppose if I have to." She said before beaming a smile at him and placing her hands on his shoulders. As he went to stand up, he brought her with him, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a kiss.

The room cheered for them loudly.

When Ethel pulled back dizzily, she couldn't help but wonder, "how ever did you find me?"

Ivan took a step back and looked over towards the door where Arabella stood. Ethel didn't wait a second before she ran across the tavern floor and threw her arms around her stepsister, tears in both their eyes. "Thank you! Thank you!" She cried. "I don't deserve a sister as good as you! You were free of me!"

"No, I don't think I deserve any sister at all. Can you forgive me?" Arabella asked, shyly.

"Of course I do!"

"Now, where is Soot?" She glanced around the room as Ethel let go of her.

Susan stopped what she was doing and glanced up from the bucket of potatoes she was preparing still and stared at her sister's face. She stood up, throwing the knife and potato down into the bucket. Arabella rushed to her at the same moment and they embraced.

"Ethel's marrying Ivan," Arabella bubbled, "and you're coming to the palace too, to live with me and see the weddings!" She enthused.

"B-but... What of Sven and his family. I cannot leave them after their kindness to me." Susan's heart was torn, for she'd finally found a safe kind of place to dwell.

"Silly," Arabella laughed, trying not to let the sting of Sven get to her. "They're coming too." Without a second to spare she dragged Susan from the garden by the hands and led her to the carriage out the front.