If Cinderella was a Badass

Chapter 6

This is more of a filler chapter, to be honest. Sorry for the wait!

Cinderella's POV

The sky was blending into pastel pinks and baby blues, as though a painter took a brush and painted long strokes of colours, and dabbed on puffy clouds. Gold lined the horizon to indicate the rising sun and the coming day. Though the sky was awake, no one else was except a single songbird that chirped a melody all too cheerful for what I felt. I had on my tan pants and white blouse, which blew behind me in the wind. I was sitting on the slightly damp grass, with my head thrown back, enjoying the warmth of the dawn. The meadow, the quiet, and the temporary safety from my 'family' normally was enough to clear my head but today it was doing nothing for me. I opened my eyes and lay back on the grass to look up at the clouds passing by.

"Daddy, daddy, that one looks like a flower!" I cried delightedly.

"Your right! And see that one? It looks like a horse!" My father said back, before leaning down and giving me a peck on the cheek. "And speaking of horses, I have a surprise for you, darling,"

"You do? What is it father?" I said, turning and facing him.

"Come here," he said, as he pulled me into his lap. "Now you see that?" He pointed off into the distance at the trees.

"The trees?" I asked, "Is that my gift?"

He laughed loudly, and it echoed all throughout the meadow.

"No, no, no," He said, before whistling loudly.

It took a few seconds until it appeared, but at last it did.

"A horse!" I squealed, before rushing off to greet it.

"I'm going to name it Prince!"

I chuckled at the memory, but then grew somber.

"Father, why'd you have to leave me?" I asked, a tear rolling down the side of my face, into my wavy chestnut hair. I closed my eyes, and pictured him with me; same as I always did when I came out to the same exact meadow he showed me all those years ago. A ring of trees hid it, and it has and always will be our secret place to talk.

Imagining him next to me, I started to speak.

"You won't believe the insane days I've had." I started, my voice shaking a little. "My engagement was announced, which you know is fake. I've had to deal with stepmother and the stepsisters, all who were jealous beyond belief. Though, I would trade roles with any of them in a heartbeat."

"But sweetheart, why would you announce a fake engagement in the first place?"

"I had no choice. You would know the consequences better than anyone if I were to tell anyone. My identity would be compromised for starters, and all the money I saved up from the fighting would go the same way my inheritance went; towards the lovely stepmother you picked out for me."

"I didn't know she would turn out how she did. I'm so sorry, my baby. You know I would be there if I could. And you also should know I don't approve of all this lying. What's the worst that could happen? So you lose a little money, and you can't go risk your life at some stupid fighting rink."

"The worst?" I gulped at the thought. I could almost hear the clock strike midnight, and his face appearing at the door. The stench creeping in, my stomach clenching at what was to come. "The worst would be stepfather returning," I whispered, and opened my eyes quickly, trying to cut off the conversation before it delved into memories I didn't want to return.