The Next Cinderella

Chapter 25--The Gift of Love?

On one side of the royal dining table was a sprawling feast of turkey legs, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, Cornish hens, beef stew and a cheese platter so grand it was sure to be the source of some flatulence.

The royals, Gianni, and Fairy Godmother were busy devouring the delights in their own special ways; the queen took tiny measured bites, the prince ate a turkey leg with ravenous hunger, and King Gastronso did exactly what he did best, which was store up food in his belly for the next five winters. Gianni was too busy reviewing his notes to take a single bite, while Fairy Godmother drank her dinner from a goblet of wine.

The other side of the table contained seven identical plates, and each contained identical cubed vegetables and a boiled piece of chicken. It was too depressing to look at let alone eat, so Myrielle focused her gaze on the massive silver tray of turkey legs piled high. There were so many juicy extra pieces on that tray, and she didn't understand why she couldn't have just one.

The prince gestured to the other side of the table. "How are you all finding your dinner?" Instead of waiting for a response he shoveled a scoop of mashed potatoes down his gullet. He normally wouldn't consume so much food during a typical royal feast, but sitting across from a potential peasant wife was making him an emotional eater.

The girls said "mmm!' in unison, before carefully eating their vegetables one cube at a time. Most of the girls had never even used proper cutlery before, which made them a little nervous when the queen's hawk eyes watched their every move.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the food," she said, "because when one of you becomes a princess...portion control will be key."

"But what if we've been outside all day chasing butterflies?" said Josselyn, her patented dumb-eyed look on full display. "It's so much fun but it's also tiring to chase all them creatures; and then I get so hungry after!"

The queen thought long and hard about pretending not to see or hear Josselyn, but when she noticed the other girls' questioning eyes, she knew she had to set them straight.

"Being a princess is a great responsibility," she said, making no effort to hide her annoyance. "A responsibility that includes frequent public appearances where your waistline must be tight and trim. At least until the children come..."

"Children?" said Josselyn, looking more confused than ever. She wasn't alone in her dumb-eyed look, as all the other girls had it too. They'd been so focused on winning a contest for the chance to marry a prince, that they hadn't gone beyond the imagery of victory parades and confetti. Myrielle seemed the most affected out of everyone. Children? With that soulless husk of a man? And would the children turn out to be like him? An army of little rug-rats obsessed with their hair?

As a future rich in coin and disturbia flashed before her eyes, Fredrick arrived with a fresh jug of water to top off everyone's goblets. As she watched him complete his task with his usual measured precision, she felt an immediate and intense longing. She'd first felt the longing at the start of the evening, when he'd avoided paying her a compliment or even looking into her eyes. Was he playing hard to get or was the game already over? And how could she even be playing this game when she was busy with the biggest game of all? The one that would help her re-build the kingdom and change her family's life for the better? She knew she had no choice but to remain an exclusive player, but the strong temptation was becoming near impossible to ignore.

Once he was finished pouring the water he remained in the dining hall, positioning himself a few feet behind the royals' side of the table. Myrielle tried and failed to catch his eye, so she returned her gaze to the platter of turkey legs. She remembered the last time she'd had a turkey leg, shamelessly eating it in front of the servant who'd decided not to capture her. He'd really done that, she thought. He'd saved her and he'd let her binge-eat too. She sighed.