Cinderella

Proposition

The dying embers of their fire were popping nosily, cutting off the shrieking call of the crickets. Mariette was sitting back against Winslow, his arms draped lazily around her waist from behind. With night folding in around them, it was peaceful to rest against each other, and Winslow's steady breathing had nearly lulled her to sleep more than once. She had snuck away from the tent yet again, but this time found herself with Winslow instead of Nicolas.

She traced a languid pattern down one of his arms. "So, basically, what you are trying to tell me is that it was the prince's idea to find me. Winslow, I had greater confidence in you."

His arms tightened around her and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I exaggerated a little. It was the prince's idea to find you-after I stormed into his chambers and demanded it."

She twisted a little, so that she was facing him, and put her arms around his neck. Though they had not talked about what their relationship had become, he had kissed her more than once since he had found her. "I would have been disappointed with anything less."

He smiled at her for a moment, then pulled her to her feet. She went willingly, though she was more than a little confused. He took one of his hands in hers and placed the other at her waist. He said, ponderingly, "I once knew a girl who was a very good dancer." Something in his eyes alerted her that this was a very important statement indeed, and that she should not brush it by.

"Did you?" she asked, as he began to shift his feet.

He nodded. "I did. But, alas...she was a mysterious kind of girl, whose name I never uncovered. That is, until very recently."

"Truly?" she asked, and he twirled her. "Well, and now I am enthralled. How did you discover her name? Did she reveal it to you?"

He shook his head. "Another girl, or so I thought, had a very small bit of belongings, which had never intrigued me before. When she left a housing we shared, she must have forgotten it. Due to a sudden...change...I suddenly realized that I knew not nearly enough about her. So, though it shames me to admit, I scoured through them in a weak moment."

"You should never scour through a woman's things," Mariette said in a mockingly solemn tone. "But what, pray tell, did you find?"

"That's the really curious part. Inside of the bag, was the first girl's gown."

Mariette froze.

This Winslow noticed. He said, "Cinders, that bag was yours." He paused for a moment, so that his words would sink in. "The trouble with masquerade balls is that you can never rediscover your dancing partner. Especially after they've been torn away to dance with the prince."

"You..." Mariette was speechless. It had been Winslow she had danced with...Winslow who had travelled to the de Casé household to find her...Winslow who had nearly kissed her. Unthinkingly, she had fallen in love with two men that night. And one was standing right in front of her. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him. After a moment, she pulled away. "And now you have made everything perfect."

His smile diminished. "Not everything. For one, you still cannot live in the castle. Another, I don't know how I feel of you making a living out of dancing half naked for other men. Notice the 'other'." She laughed, but he went on. "And yet another, the prince is still very much in love with you. In exchange for lending me a few of his guards, I am to return you to him. I'm hoping that it is only so that he can apologize. After all, even he cannot disregard the will of a king." He became quite for a moment, and then tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. "Do...do you love him? The truth, please."