Cinderella without a dress (2nd Book of D T) Yaoi

Stage 11: Debt

The Prince took me home with two guards tailing behind us. He assisted me off of the horse and escorted me to the door.

"I had fun today Cinder," The Prince said.

"Me too, thank you," I replied.

"Which part of our activities did you enjoy?" he teased, making me blush.

"The food," I said determinedly. I knew what he was thinking about and it just made my umm you know, excited. "Would you like to come in?" I asked him.

The Prince looked down in thought and smiled. "Of course, I would like some tea with you if that is okay."

"Of course," I chirped.

"Cinder quick! Mother has fallen ill!" the two girls shouted in unison just as I had just opened the door of our house.

The Prince and I looked at each other with his eyes filled with boredom and with mine filled with concern. Both of us headed to my stepmother's room where Pistachio and Cashew were mourning like she was already a dead cold corpse. Madame Peanut was pale; her eyes were closed and she was lying flat on the bed with her hands intertwined above her stomach.

"What happened?" I asked and moved to Madame Peanut's side to feel if she was cold or hot. She doesn't feel above or below the average temperature at all though.

"Well, she just arrived from handling business and she suddenly fainted!" Pistachio stated and clung to the Prince's arm.

"Oh yes! Both of us panicked and we worked together to put her into her room! We loved our mother dearly!" Cashew added and clung to the other arm of the Prince. The Prince looked as bothered as I was with the sisters sticking to him like a magnet. He shook his arms and dusted his sleeves before clearing his throat.

"By business do you mean gamble?" The Prince asked.

Madame Peanut instantly came back from the dead. "I do not do such things Your Highness!"

The Prince smirked, earning a dreamy sigh from the sisters making me grimace. "But I do know your reputation milady. Do not act as though you are innocent to the gambling industry. Tell me, how many thousands have you lost?"

I looked at the Prince and at Madame Peanut. I knew about her gambling but I did not bother poking into her life since her gambles kept a roof above her children's heads, however, I knew that one day her luck would run out.

"I have lost many thousands but I know that I will get it back if I play again! I just need more money," Madame said. She looked at me and then the Prince. "Your highness, I have a proposition..."

Prince Charles put his weight to one of his legs and raised a brow. "What proposition and how can I benefit from it?"

"Since you like my stepson here very much then you can have him but with a price..."

My eyes widened. "You...you will sell me?" I could not believe it! How much wicked can this woman get for proposing human trafficking?

"You will sell your own son?" Prince Charles asked.

I could not decipher any emotion from his face and that made me anxious. What was he thinking as of now? If he bought me as a slave would he treat me one as well? But he was not that cruel was he? He wouldn't...he wouldn't dare treat me as a bed slave will he? Oh my goodness...I ...I felt like I was getting stripped off of my rights.

"He was never a son to me to begin with. He was just a son of a prostitute nothing more," she stated and smiled slyly.

What...what did she call my mother? A...a prostitute? I could feel the anger bubbling inside of me." My brother only liked that woman for her looks and I know your highness that you like Cinder for his mere looks and body as well. So what do you say? " she asked. I looked at the Prince with teary eyes and I waited for his answer.