Ever After: An Amourshipping and OC Story

Chapter 11

Cold, hard silence fills the Yvonne estate. It is the morning after the ball and Serena is robotically working on the garden. Her eyes are still red and puffy from crying herself to sleep last night after the man she loves cast her away. She didn't say a word to Entalmorfious, Helga, Kim, Clemont or Bonnie when they found her running toward the house with her face full of tears and her dress ripped. She locked herself in her room before they could come in and ask for an explanation. When the servants were preparing for breakfast early in the morning, she was hammered with questions from Entalmorfious, Helga, and Kim and so she sadly had to explain everything, breaking their hearts as they all hugged her in attempt to comfort her.

“You know,” Hania says suddenly standing behind Serena as she works. “I have it on good authority to inform you that before your ignominious display, Prince Ashton was going to choose Miette to be his bride.”

Serena doesn’t say anything but keeps her wooden face to hide her brokenness inside as she works.

“Men can be terribly fickle, can't they?” Hania mocks. “One minute they're writing sonnets for you and the next you’re back to being the hired help. Though I must say, I've never seen you so devoted to your chores.”

“What makes you think I do any of this for you?” Serena asks coldly.

Hania merely scoffs and says, “You've brought this on yourself, you know. Only a fool would be so stupid as to think a pig would be turned into a swan.”

At that, Serena angrily throws her shovel and turns to her stepmother.

“Don't you understand? You won!” she screams bitterly. “Go! Go live in your castle and leave us here in peace!”

Hania stares at the honey blonde woman unfazed as she says, “You're not my problem anymore.”

Serena looks at her stepmother in disbelief and her anger turns to grief.

“I’m your problem?!” she shrieks. “I have done everything you asked and done all that I could do to please you and still you deny me the one thing I've wanted all my life.”

“And what is that?” Hania asks uncaringly.

“Do you really not know?” Serena asks softly. “You are the only mother I've ever known. Was there ever a moment where you ever thought you loved me?”

“Who could love a pebble on their shoe?” Hania answers coldly.

Serena stares at Hania with her already broken heart breaking even more. The two women continue to stare at each other until Kim suddenly runs toward them.

“Serena! Mistress!” she calls out happily. “Come quick! It's back, all of it!”

Serena looks at Kim confused before she follows the older woman not noticing Hania walking behind uncaringly. When Kim leads her to the front yard, Serena stops in shock of what Kim was talking about. Standing proudly is Calem while his men are unloading a cart full of her family’s possessions. Entalmorfious, Helga, and Kim happily help Calem’s men as they bring the possessions back inside from the candlesticks, to the tapestries, to even her father's books and paintings and anything Hania, Miette and Dawn sold in order to buy Miette’s outfit last night. Hania eventually catches up and smirks at what is happening.

“Right on time, Sir da Xavier,” she says.

“It’s all here, Madame, down to the last candlestick,” Calem says.

Serena looks at the two of them as the pieces come together in her mind.

“You sold everything to him?!” she shouts in disbelief.