Cinderella and The Shape Shifting Mice

Chapter Nine

The Prince

Frustration beyond belief filled me. I was running through the palce maze in the gardens at night, all lit up and decorated for my party. I was chasing a girl in a dress that kept changing colors in the light, her hair pinned up, hidden under a veil. She kept turning partly around to see if I was behind her and would giggle when she saw that I was still there. Her giggle was like music and the few times I glimpsed her features, she was absolutly stunning.
"What's your name!" I shouted out, reaching for her elbow. And like the past 15 times I had tried, I missed and she turned a corner, laughing. She turned around another corner and suddenly we were standing in the middle of the maze. The only exit was behind me, and I couldn't let her leave without learning her name.
"I'm sorry miss, but now you need to tell me your name." I said, walking up to her slowly. The dress had turned a light blue and just as I grabbed her shoulder to turn her around I jolted awake.

"Sam!" I shouted, sitting straight up, rubbing my eyes.
"I'm sorry sir, but it's time to get ready. Your shower is hot and running, and I have your suit and a small tray of food being brought up to your room." Sam said, holding out his hand for me to get out of bed.
I grabbed it and raised groggily. He lead me into the bathroom where I climbed into a steaming hot shower. The water poured down my back and my tense shoulders relaxed. I needed to stop thinking about the girl from my dream... I washed my hair and climbed out, wrapping my waist in a fluffy white towel. I walked out into my bedroom where a tray of fruit and finger snadwhichs sat on my desk and Sam was waiting with my suit. I slipped on my favorite pair of underwear (they were covered in cartoons) and Sam raised his eyebrow when I emerged from behind the divider. "What? It's not like anyone is going to see them. Might as well be comfy."
Sam chuckled and held out the pants.

Fifteen minutes later and I was finally dressed in the nicest suit I had ever worn. It was silk on the inside and the fabric felt like nothing I had ever touched. My shirt was a creamy off white color with a black bow tie the same fabric as the suit was tied neatly around my neck by Sam. He'd been tying my ties since I was 12 years old. Right after my mother died.
"Sam I don't know what kind of fabric this is but I need all of my suits made with it." I claimed, looking at myself in the mirror.
"Sir that suit was $35,000 dollars." Sam said softly.
I spin around and gapped at him. "What."
"We got it from Italy sir. Rare animal and the finest stitching in the world."
I turned back around slowly and touched the fabric. "On second thought, remind me not to eat tonight. don't think I could live with myself if I spilled something on this. And that I never gain or lose weight, I need to fit into this for a while."
Sam chuckled. "Yes sir."

There was a knock at my door and the manager in charge of my whole birthday affair walked in. Her name was Tiffinay Belaross and was one of the most brillant woman I'd ever met, especially for being only 33.
"Hello sir. I was just coming to ask if you'd like to take a look at everything before all the guest arrive." She said, holding her infamous black clipboard to her side. She also had an earpiece in her ear that I swear was glued in there, she never took it off.
"Sure, lead the way. Sam, you can go get ready if you want." I said as he began to follow.
He nodded and walked away and I proceeded to follow Tiffinay down the hall.
Because this was the private quarters there weren't any decorations anywhere, but once we reached the main hall my breath was taken away.
The collumns on the grand staircase were wrapped in gold ribbon that were tied in bows. Heavy curtains with ornaite designs on them hung on the walls down to the ballroom. Out of the windows you could glimps the gardens that were light up like it's own small city. The bushes were wrapped in lights and little crytals hung from the tips of tree branches, catching the light. I nodded my approval as we walked and then we entered the ballroom and my mouth actually dropped. Huge crystal chandaliers dangled from the ceiling casting a golden but clear light over the entire room. Tall candalabras sat in the corners waiting to be lit and the carvings on the walls seemed to glimmer too. The floor looked freshly polished and a long red carpet ran the length of the room from the doors up to the four thrones sitting atop a slight raised platform. My father though, would be sitting in a balcony above the ballroom, observing everything.
My father sat in his throne chair for the moment and Johnathen stood in front of him, holding something and explaining it in a wild fashion from the looks of his body language.
I turned to Tiffinay who looked slightly nervous. "Would you look to see the front and outside?" she asked.
I shook my head. "If the outside looks half as good as the inside we might need to offer them socks at the door because they'll be blown off before they get out of the car."
Tiffinay chuckled but a smile crept it's way to her lips. "Thank you sir, it was an honor to plan your party."
I smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Please call me George."
She nodded and excused herself to oversee a few last minute details.
I walked up to my dad and Johnathen who was holding a small toy car and a controler. A contraption he had built himself from some of his old toys.
"And then I just plugged this into that slot and boom!" he threw his hands up in the air. "Electricity and I was driving it around the room with my controller."
My father smiled and nodded. Electronics was never his thing, but I could tell he enjoyed listening to how Johnathen explained it.
"Johnathen is that what you're wearing?" I said, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Johnthen gave me a sheepish grin. "I was just explaining to father how I built my car."
I nodded. "You can show him tomorrow Johnathen, go upstains with Madame Pompee and get changed. People will be arriving soon."
"But-"
"Go." I pointed at the door and Johnathn lept down the stairs and scurried out.
I looked at my dad who was smiling. "I have a good feeling about tonight Georgie. I'm sure you'll find the one."
As if on que my father's right hand man appeared next to him dressed in blue, his terribly ugly spectacle pressed to his right eye. I can't think of the number of times that thing has broken, but he still insists on using it.
His mustache shook as he spoke to my father. "I absolutly agree sir, just look at him. Such a strapping, promising young man. Women would be fools not to speak with him." He put a large hand on my shoulder and I smiled awkwardly. I didn't dislike him, but I wasn't always very comfortable with him around.
"Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go check on a few things." I excused myself and walked hastily out of the ballroom. I glanced quickly into the dinning hall at all the tables and place setitng for hundreds of people and went upstairs to the library. There was a balcony in the library that looked out onto the town in the distance and the front drive were all the cars would be pulling up.
I leaned heavily against the stone railing and gazed out at the town and for the first time in a few days my thoughts wandered to that girl I had met at the market. What was her name agian? Elizabeth? Elaine? Ella! I laughed softly remembering the grease and dirt smeared all over her face washing those cars. I felt a small flicker of hope in her coming tonight.
Suddenly the next thing I knew I saw the first car pulling through the gates, and I ran downstairs to meet the first guest of the night.

Ella

I wandered around the house holding a tray of little crackers with sausage on them to any guest who desired to have them. I smiled at everyone and did my best to look cheerful and not like I'd rather be anywhere but here. My thoughts kept going to my unfinished dress and my eyes kept meandering away to the clock.
When we had thirty minutes left to spare I set the trays down in the kitchen and snuck up to my room. No one had eaten anything in over an hour anyway. I threw open the doors to my wardrobe and gasped. The dress was done! I heard a squeak behind me and the mice sat on the floor with sewing needles and threed at their feet.
My eyes filled with tears. I didn't really want to know how they managed to sew my dress but I pet each of them on the head and scurried to put my hair up. I brushed it and tied the white bow in my hair like a headband. I fixed my makeup quickly and slipped the dress on. It had white sleeves that fell on my shoulders and a bow on the front. The ribbon wrapped down my waist to the bottom were it ran along the hem of the pink fabric forming little bows that ruffled the pink fabric. I tied a blue necklace around my neck and slipped on some pink shoes before I heard the first car pull away from the drive.

I ran downstairs where Mary, Anastasia, and Drizella were gathering thier bags about to walk out the door.
"Wait! Wait! I'm ready!" They all turned around and gapped at me. Drizella was wearing a green gown that made me think of an olive, covered in tiny little beads, and Anastasia was wearing a bright pink dress that looked like a bottle of pepto bismal, but twice as sparkely as the entire skirt was covered in sequins. If they were looking to stand out tonight, they certainly succeeded. And maybe not in a good way.
"Mother!" Drizella gasped. "Why is she wearing a dress! I thought you said she couldn't go!"
Anastasia tugged on the shawl of Mary's dress. "Mother you can't, she doesn't count!"
Mary raised her hand and both girls quieted down. "The letter was addressed to all four of us. I gave her a list of things to complete and she did them. Now girls, stand next to her so I can get your picture." She pulled out her phone and the girls walked to my sides, almost a foot between us.
"C'mon guys, I don't smell." I said sarcastically. Drizella gave me a nasty look and Anastasia ignored me.
"Closer girls, I can't get you in the shot." Mary ordered. They scooted a litle closer. Mary walked forward and pressed them next to me so our skirts were touching. "There. Now smile."
We smiled and I heard the click. Thinking on it, I believed that was the only picture we had ever taken together. And probably ever would.
"Alright, now come on." The girls walked forward and suddenly I heard a rip. I looked down and gasped. Drizella's beads and Anastasia's sequins had gotten caught on my dress.
"Oh no! You will not rip my dress!" Drizella grabbed my dress and hers and ripped it, tearing the fabric off my dress.
"And you can't ruin mine. I need the Prince to notice me!" She did the same thing, but took some ribbon with her. They kept ripping until their dress was free and mine was in tatters, hanging literally by a few threads.
"What have you done!" I gasped, looking down at my dress. "You ruined it!"
Anastasia and Drizella shrugged. "It wasn't that pretty anyways." They walked out the door to the car, and I looked at Mary teary eyed.
"I'm sorry Cinderella, looks like the only dress you have left is the maid one." She walked out and closed the door behind her, laughing all the way.
I let out a piercing scream and ran out the back doors to the lit up garden and out to the bench my father had once spent long afternoons reading to me from. I collapsed on it sobbing.

A fleeting thought entered my mind which made the tears flow a little faster. What about that stranger I had met in the market, Georgie? I told him I'd be there, and now possibly my only chance of getting out of here was gone.
I looked out at the palace lit up in lights and the tiny cars pulling in front of it. I should be there, I thought. Despite all the bad memories, I should be there... And I sobbed a little harder. I would be stuck in this house, forever.