Reincarnated as an Ugly Step Sister

Chapter 11

When the clock strikes ten Nicholas and I are back in the midst of the ball. He can't stay hidden forever so as much as I want to stay with him in the library, just the two of us, I know I have to get him back to the party so he can dance with Cinderella. I was planning on introducing them but as soon as Nicholas entered the ballroom he was swarmed by girls in frilly dresses and old men who wanted to talk to him about his "policies".

I figure it's best to let the crowd disperse and in the meantime I can find Cinderella. I duck under trays of food and squeeze past people having conversations until I finally find her. She's in the middle of the ballroom, dancing with someone dressed in an expensive looking suit. "Maybe she found Nicholas on her own," I thought to myself. He turned around to reveal a stranger, somewhat handsome, but definitely not Nicholas. He wore a navy blue suit and a pink tie, the same color as Cinderella's dress. They looked cute together.

Wait, have I just ruined Cinderella's happily ever after? I've been with Nicholas the whole night and he hasn't had a chance to dance with her even once.? What would happen if her fairytale didn't go as planned? As happy as she looks with this stranger, I know I have to get this night back on track and I have less than two hours to do it.

Finally Cinderella noticed me standing on the outskirts of the dance floor and led her partner to me. Her usually pale face was flushed from dancing so hard and she was out of breath. She smiled brightly as she approached me. "Violet! This is William. We've been dancing together."

"I noticed," I replied. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Cinderella's step sister, Violet." I held out my hand for him to shake. Instead he kissed it lightly.

"Pleasure meeting you." He flashed a charming smile.

"The pleasure is all mine," I said, curtsying. I internally squealed with joy. It had always been a fantasy of mine to say that, yet the opportunity never presented itself.

"Shall I get you two a drink?" William asked politely.

"Some champagne would be great," Cinderella said softly.

William looked over at me for my answer. "None for me, thanks."

As soon as he had left I turned to Cinderella. "How did you meet him? You're drinking champagne now? Are you being careful?"

She blushed bright red. "Calm down, Violet! He asked me to dance so we did for a while. Then we got tired and I tried some champagne, just to see. I really like him, he's so sweet and considerate..." she trailed off, lost in thought.

"No, no, no! You're not supposed to fall for him," I mumbled to myself.

"What?" she asked.

"Um... nothing. I know the prince! Let me introduce you!" The words tumbled out of my mouth. I had to get this night back on track.

"What about William?" she asked. She was clearly confused about my strange behavior.

"Oh yeah. Well, he can probably find us and it'll only take a minute," I said, as I grabbed her hand and dragged her through the ballroom.

We found Nicholas sitting at a table and talking with a group of old, well dressed men. When he saw us approach he excused himself and walked over.

"Nicholas, this is my step sister, Cinderella." I gestured toward the gentle girl beside me.

Cinderella curtsied as Nicholas gave a small bow. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked us.

"Yes, I've never been to a ball like this before. I'm having such a wonderful time," Cinderella replied, her voice small. She looked down at her feet, her hands clasped behind her back. I had never seen anyone look so bashful. An awkward lull fell upon the conversation. Finally a voice broke the tension.

"Ah, there you are. Oh, Your Highness. I see you've met Cinderella and Violet." I turned around to see William, holding two glasses of champagne.

"Sorry we walked away William," Cinderella apologized, "Violet wanted to introduce me to the prince."

Nicholas gave him a tight smile. "Sorry to take them from you."

Very quickly, Cinderella and William started talking again. How could she fall in love with Nicholas if she spent the whole night with William?

I pulled Nicholas aside. "Do you know him?" I asked.

He nodded. "Of course, we're cousins. You should keep Cinderella away from him though. He may not... have the best intentions."

"What do you mean?" A solution pops into my head. "Maybe if you ask her to dance she'll be distracted," I said, jumping at the opportunity to push them together.

"I don't know if-" the prince started.

"Oh come on! You just said that he might not have the best intentions, not to mention you asked me to introduce you to her earlier. Now is your chance!" I push him towards her.

"I-" the prince protests but he's already in front of Cinderella. "Um, hello, would you care for a dance miss?"

Cinderella flushes impossibly redder as she nods bashfully and takes the prince's hand for a dance.

I glance towards William. His face is just as red as Cinderella's but he doesn't look happy. He grits his teeth, forces a tight smile, and turns to me. "Why don't we dance?"

"How can I say no?" I say with a forced chuckled. No really, how do I say no. We awkwardly wander onto the dance floor. "So what's it like being Nicholas's cousin?" I ask to break the silence.

"It's... great." William's smile is eerily hostile for a split second. "What about Cinderella?"

"Oh, she's so sweet. I feel like she deserves so much better though. She deserves a prince." I say the last sentence while staring directly into William's eyes, waiting for his reaction. Something about him makes me want to... to test how far I can push him.

He squints at me, trying to figure me out. He knows what I'm doing. "And your other sister? Does she deserve a prince too?"

"No, she's not nearly as pure. Besides, there's only one prince."

The fake smile finally drops off his face. "You don't want him for yourself?"

"No, I don't. What I want is for Cinderella to be happy." I'm not smiling either.

"Who's to say being with the prince will make her happy?"

"Every fairytale book," I think to myself. "I just get a good feeling about Prince Nicholas, don't you?"