Emily ◇ Cinderella

Chapter 16

The king lay in a lavish bed, looking ill and on the verge of death. I gasped when my eyes fell on the man I had met just earlier fall into illness so quickly. He was kind to me and the kingdom. He knew what was to happen, that much is clear.

"You came. Good. I feared I had your hint wrong" the king laughed dryly.

"Father, please don't go" Kit sat on the bed, holding onto the last few minutes with his father. Will stood on the end of the bed, a few centimetres from me.

"I must. You needn't be alone. Take a bride. The Princess Chelina. What if I commanded you to do so?" The king tried to force his son to come to terms with the arranged marriage.

"I love and respect you, but I will not. I believe that we need not look outside of our borders for strength or guidance. What we need is right before us. And we need only have courage and be kind to see it" Kit spoke wisely. I smiled at the reference to my mother, tears gathering in my eyes.

"Just so. You've become your own man. Good. And perhaps, in the little time left to me, I can become the father you deserve. You must not marry for advantage. You must marry for love. Find that girl. Find her. The one they're all talking about. The forgetful one" Kit smiled along with the king, laughing through his tears.

"Who loses her shoes" they said at the same time. I smiled widely at their interaction.

"Thank You, father"

"Thank you, Kit. I love you, son" tears steamed down Kits face.

"I love you too, Father" the king looked to me and Will.

"Emily, my dear. If it's the last thing you ever do, make sure he finds your sister. He needs someone like her. Just like how Will needs someone like you" he said weakly. I nodded.

"Of course. I promise. I'll take care of him" I looked at the two young men, tears staining both of their faces. "I'll take care of them both"

"Thank you. Will, take care of Ana. I love you both"

"We love you too, Uncle"

♤♡◇♧

The day after the loss of the king, Kit, or should I say the prince, sent a message. The message was simple, yet effective. Ella and I hustled to get closer to the announcer, straining our ears to hear what he had to say.

"Know that our new king hereby declares his love for the mysterious princess as wore glass slippers to the ball. And requests that she present herself at the palace, whereupon, if she be willing, he will forthwith marry her with all due ceremony" I stared at Ella, surprise on both of our faces. The women of the kingdom started squealing, ecstatic at the news of the marriage.

Although, Ella and I had one thought on our minds. The slippers. I still had both of mine tucked away in a locked closet, while Ella had her one box under the floorboards. We scurried home, reaching Ella's 'room' first.

Ella had a look of panic on her face when she lifted up the floorboard and
finding the shoe not there.

"Are you looking for this?" A voice asked from the shadows. We looked up, finding lady Tremaine holding the slipper in her hand. "There must be quite a story to go with it. Won't you tell me?" She looked between us, hurt especially shining in her eyes when she looked at me. 

"All right then. I shall tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl who married for love. And she had two loving daughters. All was well. But, one day, her husband, the light of her life, died. The next time, she married for the sake of her daughters. But that man, too, was taken from her. And she was doomed to look every day upon his beloved children. One of these children, she considered her own. Was treated like a second mother, as she treated her like a third daughter. She had hoped to marry off one of her beautiful, stupid daughters to the prince and his cousin, the duke.
But their heads werr turned by a girl with glass slippers and a girl with a voice. And so, I lived unhappily ever after. My story would appear to be ended. Now, tell me yours. Did you steal it?"