Shut Up, Cinderella

War of the Snowballs

Olive had hoped that the boys would get along better from now, but apparently she had hoped too early.

They had been civil—dare she say it, almost friendly—for exactly one moment after escaping the geese, and then they had quickly returned back to normal. Gem was sulking, Cinder was grumbling, and the only things exchanged between them were snarks and insults. Neither of them seemed to acknowledge, or want to acknowledge, their brief instant of getting along.

It was a shame, really. Walking behind them, scanning their surroundings for potential threats (and making sure the hidden guards were still there), Olive could see how their strides matched as they strode through the landscape side by side. She couldn't even tell who was matching his strides to the other; or maybe neither did, and they were simply prone to walking at exactly the same pace.

They made for a nice picture, walking like that. On the one side there was Gem, bright and radiant and dressed in vibrant colors; on the other side, Cinder, dark and silent as a shadow and no less intense. Olive wondered if they ever realized how they looked together—a contrasting pair in quiet sync, standing out from the landscape even from a distance.

She just wished they'd get along when they were talking, too. This Cinder seemed like a decent person, grumpiness notwithstanding. And Gem didn't have any real friends his age. His status had always kept people at a distance, intimidated, afraid of disrespecting him or his father by trying to make friends. His closest friend had always been Olive. Olive, who, being a bastard child, had never had trouble being approached and making friends—or even finding a lover.

You realize that, don't you, baby brother? That's why you keep him around even if he annoys you.

Because Cinder hadn't cared for one moment that the boy in front of him was the crown prince. He had simply treated him like any other customer, like he didn't see or care about Gem's status at all. He had treated him like a normal boy his age...like an equal.

Olive smiled to herself.

Maybe in due time, these two could actually become friends.

~ ~ ~

Gem was getting tired.

For an hour or two, a walk in the snow had seemed like the best idea in the world. The sun was shining, the landscape was glistening, and the air was crystal-clear on his tongue and in his lungs. The perfect weather to go out and enjoy the winter wonderland.

That had been a few hours ago. Now, however, things were looking different.

The landscape was still pretty, but it looked the same everywhere. Trees, fields, the occasional cattle, a few houses, more fields. And, of course, the neverending road. How long had it been since the escape from the geese? Stupid geese. Cinder had said the field was a shortcut. And now they couldn't even use it because geese had taken it over.

His legs were heavy. Stomping through the snow was fun for some time, but eventually it became a chore. The snow kept resisting his every footstep. Water was slowly but surely seeping through his boots, unfit for long walks in the snow, and he was getting cold. Why, oh, why hadn't they taken the stupid carriage? Or at least some horses! Cinder had said they couldn't take them on the shortcut, but now they couldn't do the stupid shortcut anyway, so what the hell was the point of walking?

"I'm tired," he said, glaring at Cinder like the whole situation was his fault. "When are we taking a break?"

Cinder glared at him, irritated. "We just took a break," he said. "What do you want?"

"That was one second! After getting chased by geese!" Gem gave a huff. "I need a real break already!"

"Stop whining, we haven't walked that far." Cinder picked up his pace as if to spite Gem and his tired legs. "You're just tired because you're a spoiled brat who's not used to walking."