Cinderella

MARIUS!?!

Chapter 6: MARIUS!?!

Prince Charming

"Father, no!" I shout loudly to him as I hold a ice to my nose. Ever since last night, he's been rambling on how he is going to find Cinderella and hold her up for treason against the state just because she was trying to get away from me.

"No! NO!? She assaulted you and you're telling me NO!!!" He replies angrily. His face is as red as a cherry and you can see the steam blowing out like a whistle from his ears.

"Father, it wasn't her fault; It was mine. She was trying to leave but... I selfishly kept her against her will. She had the right to do what she did." This doesn't help; father is still blowing a fuse.

"Where does she live, son?" He asks.

"I don't know..."

"WHERE DOES SHE LIVE CHARMING!?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" I yell back at him after getting up and slamming the door behind me as I storm out of the room. I wish I did so I could figure out why she was bruised up and her dress all torn after that... magic went away.

Maybe... maybe the census from last year can help me. I have to make sure not to alarm my dad... otherwise, it will be her end.

Cinderella

I knock on Fontine's door while balancing the trays of food on my head and hands. She gives me a normal scolding like usual and gives me a basket of clothes to wash; in it was her dress from last night.

I sigh and close the door softly.

I knock on Marius' door but he doesn't reply which is strange. I'll come back... I guess. I walk on to stepmothers room and she gives me a list of chores that need to be done. Same old things; mend this, clean that, move those...

I return to Marius' room and knock again. I don't hear a response from inside. Guess he had a fun time last night. Too fun to tell me in the eyes what he did... I'll leave his breakfast on the table in his room.

I enter his room and see there's no lights which is strange. He usually leaves the curtains open during the night... He uses the sun's light to tell himself when to get up and he doesn't like when they are down. Once I accidental left them down after cleaning and he got so furious at me, I ran out of his room crying my eyes out... though, later that day he apologized.

Once they are opened, I turn around to leave when I see something... something small, red and shiny at the base of the fireplace. 'What is that?'

I bend down and take a look at this substance... That can't be blood... It's probably tea of some type of jelly. I know Marius likes jelly... but then again, why would he eat jelly next to the fireplace? As I try to stand up, I reach my hand up and grab one of the gold candelabras that are mounted to the fireplace itself.

That's when I feel it start to turn...

When it stops, I am in a dark and dingy room; no lights pierce the small room. I've lived in this house all my life but... I never knew this was here. How did I of all people not... and worst of all, what's that smell? It smells like someone died in here.

As I touch around the walls looking for the way out, I touch this cold, weird, and sticky substance on the wall... What is it!?

Marius

"Whose... there?" I ask in a soft voice. I hurts just trying to whisper and it's gotten to hard for me to talk normally because of how slowly I've been bleeding out.

All I heard was the clicking of shoes against the crickety old floor boards. "Marius..." It was Cinderella

"Ov-over... here." I barely can say. I hear the clicking of her shoes come closer to me.

"Is... Is that you?" I can hear her voice shaking in fear. I feel her shirt touch my legs as she bends down.

"Ye-yes..." I gasp when she accidentally, lightly hits the knife still in my abdomen. She gasps and starts to tear up, I know because I can feel her tears hitting my wound, making it sting.

"Marius? What happened to you?" She asks. I feel her hand working of my chest to my neck and then my cheek.

"Mother..." I can't finish the statement. I can feel myself get colder and colder by the minute.

"Stay with me Marius! You can't leave me." I can hear the pain in her voice. I want to say I won't but... I don't know if it's possible at this point.

"I don't know... how long... I can..." I try my best to speak. It comes out wavy and almost impossible to understand.

"Try! Please! Don't leave me!" She cries out as she takes my hand and brings it up to her face despite blood being on it.

"I'll... try... Cin-derella... I need... you to... remove... the dagger..." I guide her hand to the golden hilt of the blade, gasping a little at the soft touch. She grabs onto it firmly.

"Are you sure this will help?" She asks as tears continue falling from her face onto me.

"No... but just in case..." I grab her chin and carefully pull her to my face and... bring our lips to meet. Before she can kiss back I push her away lightly not trying to hurt her feelings.

"Ready?"

"Ready... On 3." She says trying to remain positive. I brace for the excruciating pain.

"1..."

"2..."

"3..."

That's when she pulls out the dagger. It's not as painful as I thought but I still gasp; she pants from anxiety. I hear it drop to the floor and I can feel more blood start pooling.

"Stop... bleeding..." I can barely say. I hear a rip of cloth and then pressure on the wound.

"Please... please don't go! PLEASE!"

That is when we hear an ominous sound. Sounds of footsteps and an eerie laughter ring throughout the room.

"Very good Marius. You found your true love... AND YOUR GOING TO WATCH HER DIE!" That's when I hear Cinderella scream so loud that it had to ring throughout the entire kingdom.

"Mother! Someone is coming up to the house!" We all heard Fontine's voice interrupt the scream, that's how annoyingly painful it is to listen to.

She starts laughing a villainous laugh. "Looks like you and my son get to last a little bit longer. I hope you like your last minute alive!" She walks out the entrance that she came in from last night, laughing hysterically. We... are going... to die...