So This is Love (Disney Twisted Tales) - Elizabeth Lim Page 0,24
it is odd she hasn’t come forth herself. I know I would if I had a chance to marry the prince. I’ll bet the duke’s going to start the search again today.”
“What happens if he doesn’t find her?” murmured Cinderella.
“The king’s fickle.” Louisa leaned closer, lowering her voice. “On a good day, the duke might get away with a rap on his knuckles. But His Majesty’s been extra irritable lately, and he’s very keen on the prince finding a bride right away—says it’s a matter of national importance. So who knows?”
That was news to Cinderella, though she supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised. A ball that invited every eligible maiden to attend could only be intended for one purpose: to find the prince a wife. Was that the only reason he had danced with her—to please his father? She wondered what he had thought of it all.
“Ahem,” said the Grand Duke loudly, the rebuke aimed at Louisa and Cinderella.
Louisa’s cheeks burned, and she curtsied lower. Cinderella did the same.
“I don’t recognize you,” said the duke, pausing in front of Cinderella.
“She’s a trainee, Your Grace,” offered Louisa.
“A trainee?” He inclined his chin at Madame Irmina. “Is this the new attendant you hired for the duchess?”
“Oh,” Madame Irmina said, startled. “She dismissed the one I sent this morning already?”
“Never try to comprehend Genevieve’s actions,” replied the Grand Duke. “The woman is all madness and no reason, just like her husband. A pity she, too, wasn’t banished from court.” He turned to Cinderella. “Come along now, you should already be upstairs.”
“But I haven’t even—”
“Ah!” The Grand Duke’s eyes widened, as if he were seeing her for the first time. He wrinkled his nose at her appearance. “Have we run out of gold? Someone see to it that she gets some proper clothes. I’ll never hear the end of it if I send a servant in rags to Genevieve.”
“Louisa, come with me,” shouted Madame Irmina, pulling Cinderella into a private room. Inside was a wall of identical dressers. “It must be your lucky day, girl.”
She pulled open one of the drawers and thrust a lavender sash and an apron into Cinderella’s arms. “Put this on after you’ve changed. I hope you’ve bathed recently. I suppose it doesn’t matter, since you won’t last long anyhow. Louisa! Get this girl an attendant’s dress. And don’t forget the wig.”
Cinderella raised an eyebrow. Wig?
“Come on,” Louisa whispered, guiding her to the staff’s changing room as Madame Irmina returned to the Grand Duke.
“I told you not to say anything,” Louisa said softly. “Now you’re going to be the duchess’s attendant.”
“Madame Irmina was going to fire you.”
“Aunt Irmina’s family,” Louisa explained. “She loves making threats, but she’s not as mean-hearted as she sounds. So long as you pretend to be afraid of her.”
“I’ve had some practice with that,” muttered Cinderella, stifling unpleasant memories of Lady Tremaine. Madame Irmina didn’t seem half as bad as her stepmother.
“Here,” said Louisa, after rummaging through the closet for a rose-colored dress with frills along the cuffs and collar. She scrunched up her face. “I know it’s hideous. I didn’t design it.”
Cinderella slipped the new uniform over her head. “What’s this for?” she asked, touching the lavender sash.
“The color tells us who you’re serving. In your case, the duchess. It’ll match her call bell on the wall.” Louisa pinned the sash at her side, then spun Cinderella toward the mirror. “One last thing.”
Louisa rifled through the drawers again until she found a wig with white ringlets that looked like they’d seen better days.
While Cinderella pinned the wig to her hair, Louisa hastily brushed its ivory curls. “It’s a little big for your head, but it’ll have to do for now. All attendants wear one. Come on, the duke is waiting.”
“Ah, that’s much more tolerable,” he said, throwing a cursory glance over Cinderella when she returned. “Madame Irmina, this is not to happen again. My time is far too valuable to check on every girl we send to Genevieve.”
“My deepest apologies, Your Grace.”
“See to it that she’s promptly directed to the duchess’s chambers. I must be off.”
“Eyes down, girl,” muttered Irmina, pushing Cinderella’s neck toward the ground. “When you’re with any person of importance, stay three paces behind at all times. Don’t speak unless spoken to, got it?”
“Yes,” Cinderella murmured.
From behind, the Grand Duke cleared his throat. “On second thought, you”—he pointed carelessly at Cinderella—“follow me. I’ll direct you to the duchess myself.”
Keeping her head low, Cinderella tried to focus her gaze on the ground, but