So This is Love (Disney Twisted Tales) - Elizabeth Lim Page 0,74
she warned that at the stroke of midnight, everything would be as it was before.”
“You have a fairy godmother?”
Fairy godmother! Confounded by the possibility that magic was involved, Ferdinand knit his thick brows. No, it couldn’t be—all magical beings had been banished from Aurelais years ago. His father had seen to that. Magic had brought chaos to every kingdom it touched, what with uncontrolled and uncontrollable fairies casting spells and curses. That magic might have somehow returned to Aurelais was terrifying news.
“Strange,” murmured Charles, “I haven’t heard anyone talk about magic in a long, long time. I’d almost forgotten about it.”
Ferdinand crouched, tiptoeing yet closer to the corner of the wall. Fearing he might have misheard the girl, he held his breath. He needed to listen closely to what she said next.
“Yes,” replied Cinderella, staring nervously at her hands. She looked up at the prince. “All of it was magic—the dress, the carriage, the horses. It all vanished.”
“But not the slippers.”
“No, not the slippers.”
“And not you.”
“Not me.” A pause. “You see, that’s why I was in such a hurry to leave. It sounds silly now, but I didn’t want . . . I didn’t want you to know that everything you saw was a spell cast by my fairy godmother. That my carriage was really a pumpkin, the horses really four mice. And my gown, nothing but rags.”
“I wouldn’t have cared.”
“I suppose I was afraid.” Cinderella swallowed. “It’d been so long since I had actually talked to someone—I was afraid you wouldn’t accept me. I was afraid that if I stayed, I’d care about you too much, and it’d make going back to my old life impossible.”
Cinderella looked up at the prince, her voice soft. “Do you believe me?”
Charles tilted her chin toward him, his expression so tender Ferdinand wrinkled his nose, repulsed. “Yes, I believe you.”
Carefully, Ferdinand crouched backward and stood. He had heard all he needed to.
Lo and behold, it was sorcery!
That explained why his men hadn’t been able to find her. Who would have guessed to chase a pumpkin drawn by four mice?
Ferdinand clenched his fists at his sides, remembering his abject embarrassment when he’d had to report to the king that the maiden had vanished. He hadn’t been able to understand it, either: how would a young lady in a coach manage to elude dozens of trained guards—then disappear without a trace for days?
But now all the pieces of the puzzle had come together.
He had to hand it to the girl; she was charming. The loveliest young lady at the ball. And no wonder, with a fairy godmother at her side!
Ferdinand grimaced. He would have to proceed very, very carefully. If this Cinderella girl had a magical accomplice, then she was a danger to the kingdom, a threat to all.
Even more so, because Charles clearly was in love with her.
Ferdinand had to tell the king right away. But first, he needed to ensure the king would be on his side. These days, now that Charles had returned, that was increasingly unlikely. Well, Ferdinand would take drastic measures to make the king agree. Even if that required some magic of his own.
A visit to his trusted pharmacist would do just the trick.
At last, Duchess Genevieve retired for her afternoon nap, and Cinderella tiptoed out of the bedchamber and quietly shut the door.
Behind her, Bruno nipped at her ankles and let out a low woof.
“Her Highness is asleep.” She placed a finger on her lips. “Be good now. I’ll be back soon.”
After filling Bruno’s water bowl, Cinderella tore off her wig and undid her apron. She needed to freshen up in her chambers before meeting Charles, but attending to the duchess as well as taking over Amelia’s chores had taken all morning and afternoon. It was already past four.
After bidding goodbye to Bruno, she raced for her quarters. Well, servants weren’t exactly permitted to race across the palace, but Cinderella did her best. Her heels clicked at a brisk tempo against the wooden parquet, her steps a steady counterpoint to the unsteady beat of her heart. She hadn’t known her heart could dance, but here it was, beating in a maddening rhythm that thrummed in her chest and buzzed in her ears.
It didn’t slow as she changed in her room, so filled was she with the idea of a fresh start. And as her mind whirled, she realized there was one person she wanted to tell—one whose life could change just as much as hers.