The Untold Story of Prince Charming (Book 2 of Cinderella Series)

Chapter 4

Guilt filled my body while I watched her blink back tears that filled her eyes. I had no idea why I was feeling guilty, but I was. I guess it was because of the horse they were talking about, which seemed to give her so much joy and happiness.

The old bat beside me scoffed and pursed her lips in disgust, and I had a feeling that she didn't care about the girl at all. "You don't own any of the horses here," she said, coldly, and I pursed my lips in disgust because I had a feeling that she was like those stepmothers from the stories and felt sorry for the female, Ella as she was called, that lived with her. "You are just a mindful little servant that knows her place."

I cringed, and anger filled my body, but I didn't say a word because my father sent me a look that meant "cool it" before he turned his attention back to the stepmother and her daughter. My nostrils flared, and it took all of my self-control not to anything and to keep my thoughts to myself.

"I do too own some horses here," she said through gritted teeth. She set her jaw and glared at the female before her, her eyes filled with tears. "My father was the main person here, not you." Her voice shook, and I felt sorry for her, but like her, my hands were tied.

I had no idea what I could do to help her, and I wished that there was something that I could do. I didn't like seeing those blue eyes filled with tears because it felt as if my heart was breaking into two as well.

"Well, not Blue since I had already sold him, and he is going with this father and son pair." She gestured to me, and I bit my tongue to keep myself from lashing out at her. "You have no say in this whatsoever. Do you understand?"

A look of fear flashed through Ella's eyes before it was gone. Hesitantly, she nodded her head but stayed silent while she blinked back the tears that wanted to fall down her face.

"Well?" my father asked gently. "What can you tell me about him?"

Ella cleared her throat and licked her lips. "Ummmm..." She paused and cleared her throat again while she fiddled with the reins in her hands. "Blue's skittish at the gate, well, mostly everything that is new," she said, her voice shaking. Again, she cleared her throat. "He's a little head shy, after an incident that happened while he was younger, but he is alright if you have some sugar cubes on you. He can run, and he can run very fast. That's what Red and I had trained him to do, but," she paused again and looked at Delilah with hatred filling her eyes before she looked at us, "he hasn't been in any "real" races, so I have no idea how he would react."

"Is he any good?" I asked, trying but failing to keep the pity out of my voice. I bit back a cringe while she turned her gaze to me and licked her lips while I waited for her to answer. Please say no, I silently begged. Please. That is the only reason why we are here.

She nodded her head slowly. "He does better with female riders," she said. "And fair warning... he sometimes acts like he is "owned" by one person." She wanted to add "me" to the end of the sentence, but she didn't.

"I can take care of that easily," Dad muttered, and I held back an eye roll because I knew that he was talking about using spurs and a crop.

"You don't need to use a crop on him, Sir," Ella said. "Small studs are fine. One nudge from them, and he can, and will, go faster than if you use a crop."

Relief filled my body, and I nodded my head. "Thank you for that information," I said. There was a loud whinny followed by a crash, and someone started cussing up a storm. I bit back a cringe and cleared my throat. "I guess that is them," I said, looking towards the barn before I looked at the beautiful female.

"If you load him up, then maybe I will go easy on you," Delilah said, and I frowned because I had no idea what she meant, and I prayed that this female wouldn't get hurt from her.

Ella gritted her teeth and nodded her head. "Of course," she said, coldly. She hopped off the horse she had been riding and went to the horse's side. Quickly, she rolled up the mare's stirrups so that they wouldn't hit her side before Ella let herself and the horse out of the ring. "Follow me." She started to walk past me and didn't look at anyone except for the way she had to go.

I touched her elbow, and she stiffened. "I'm sorry," I whispered, not knowing how I could help this female before me. I leaned forward so that no one could hear what I had to say except for her. "I really am."

She didn't say a word and shrugged my hand off of her elbow. Ella ignored me and kept walking away with me, watching after her and the mare in her care. Her jaw was set, and I could tell that she was trying not to cry.

Dad placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it before he followed after the two of them, and I took up the rear with my head hanging low. He didn't say a word, and I had no idea what was going through his mind at that moment, but I wished that I did.

I wished I knew what was going through his mind and if he felt the same guilt, I felt because this beautiful female was trying hard not to cry because a gift from her father had been given to us but a mean old stepmother.

Please, let there be something that I could do. I don't know what, but I want to help her with anything. Please, let there be a way I can. I hate feeling like this, especially when I know how much pain she is in.

I cleared my throat and stuffed my hands into my pocket while I followed them down the hill and to the barn. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I would try and help in any way I could.

I just didn't know how...