A Different Cinderella

Freda entered Thea’s rooms, carrying the finished dress over her arm. “Do you have a minute or two? I want to see how this fits.”

Thea looked up from her paperwork. “Anything to take me away from these trade agreements or a bit.”

“Glad to be of service,” Freda chuckled. She helped the princess dress and stepped away.

Thea smoothed her hands over the black lace trimming her corset and the ruffles in her skirt. “It’s like a whole other dress entirely. Freda, I don’t think I could ever go back to Madam Vivian’s dresses after wearing yours. I just might have to hire you as my personal seamstress.”

“I know you’re just trying to flatter me. And it’s working.” Freda smiled slightly. “You’ll have to thank your brother, too. He helped.”

“You and my brother working together? Voluntarily?”

Freda laughed. “He came to the workroom to relax and ended up helping me. We talked for a bit. He’s actually a nice person when he’s not sticking his foot in his mouth.”

Thea laughed. “That sounds like my brother.” She turned back to the mirror and gave another twirl, grinning at how the fabric moved. “Do you think Elliot will like it?”

“Elliot would like you in anything.” Freda smirked. “Or nothing.”

Thea blushed but her smile didn’t fade. She ran her hands over the dress once more then waved Freda over to help her out of it. The laces were loosened and Thea started to change into her usual clothes. “Are you going to wear the same dress as you did last time to the ball?”

Freda was quiet for a moment. “I almost let it slip who I was last night.” Thea turned to her, her fingers half way through buttoning her shirt. “We were exchanging quips and I almost reacted like I did when I was the Mystery Woman. I think he might be suspicious.”

Thea finished buttoning her shirt before smoothing it down. “Did he say anything about the Mystery Woman?”

“No. But it was how he acted. He kept looking my way while we worked together. It wasn’t just one thing that caught my attention.”

Thea adjusted her collar and sat back down at her writing desk. “I’ll keep an eye on him. But we should brace ourselves that he might find out who you are before the ball.”

Freda nodded. She placed the dress on a hanger and set it on a peg. “Anything from your informants?”

“Nothing that we didn’t already know.” Thea frowned. “They’re keeping an eye on anyone the stepmother contacts, but nothing has been revealed about what she’s up to.” She leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. “I was hoping for some good news to put Elliot at ease.”

“How is he?”

“Concerned. Worried. He’s uncomfortable having the Spymaster looking into his family.”

“Most people would be tense about that. It’s only natural.” Freda smiled softly to Thea as she sighed.

“I can’t stop them, though,” the princess said. “This matter is too important.”

Freda nodded. “I’m sure something will turn up and we can move on to the next step.” She straightened her work apron. “I better get back to the workroom. Madam Vivian wants me to get acquainted with the fabric storage.”

Thea turned to her friend. “I hope you’re happy here.”

Freda grinned. “The happiest.” She left with a cheerful wave, but her thoughts quickly turned to Elliot. She knew how much of a worrier he was. There were many instances where he’d worked himself into a stammering mess. If Thea was mentioning it, she’s probably already seen him worried. Maybe Freda should talk to him if he still felt concerned. She personally didn’t care if his stepmother and Marigold were investigated. They deserved it for the hell they put Elliot through.

Freda stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms as she stared out the window on the opposite side of the corridor. She hadn’t really stopped to think too much about the situation since the night Elliot told her what he’d heard. There was so much fuss over the Mystery Woman. She’d only done it because it seemed like it would be fun. The evening had been nice and she’d enjoyed herself, but then the prince decided to throw another one just to see her and the Steps were planning on getting her out of the way. Everyone was looking for the Mystery Woman, wondering who it is, and Freda could not honestly say what she was going to do about it all. The Steps issue wasn’t something she could do anything about right now, but the prince was a different matter.

Did he like the Mystery Woman just because she was a mystery? Would he be happy knowing who was behind the mask or would he be disappointed? She got along with the prince no matter if she was either of the women. They were easy together and she enjoyed being with him. What she’d said last night was true; he was a kind and caring man. He was also childish and a bit unfocused at times, but she found that she didn’t mind. It was a nice change to her serious and responsible side. They shared interests but could also balance each other. It was difficult to find someone like that.

“Ah, Miss Freda,” Madam Vivian said as she came around the corner. “What has you in such deep thought?”

Freda straightened, dropping her arms. “Nothing important.”

The older woman stopped by her with a smile. “Would this have to do anything about the Mystery Woman?” Freda stared, mouth falling open. “No, my dear. I am not a mind reader. Mrs. Webber sent your dress over not too long ago. I simply guessed what was on your mind.” Her smile softened. “Are you concerned about how Caelen will act once he knows?”

Freda leaned against the wall again. “Are you sure you’re not a mind reader?”

Madam Vivian laughed. “I’m sure. But let me tell you something about our dear prince. Caelen feels things very quickly and deeply. But many of those things he cares about have become something very important to him. He has the uncanny ability of understanding people’s character. What he feels for you, as the Mystery Woman or as Freda, were formed instantly and has either stayed the same or changed for the better.” The older woman shrugged. “You won’t know where you stand until you’ve talked with him openly, though. It’s the only way to see if he will love back.”

Freda blushed. “I don’t love-”

“But you do, my dear. I knew from the moment I saw the two of you together. There was passion there that had the potential of becoming something great. It’s only grown in the time you two have been together and I believe you will be good for one another. My advice is to take the chance. You won’t know until you do.” Madam Vivian drew herself up and clapped her hands together. “Now, let’s go to the fabric storage. I need an extra set of hands pulling things down.”

Freda nodded and followed her employer. Was she that transparent?

§∞§

Caelen rubbed the tense muscles in his shoulders. He’d been up all night, thinking about the Mystery Woman. He was sorely tempted to skip all of his meetings today and just take a long nap. But he had taken on the responsibility and Thea deserved a break to spend with Elliot. Caelen looked up from the corridor floor. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, it seemed.

“Elliot,” the prince called, raising a hand to wave him over. Elliot turned and gave him a welcoming smile. Caelen drew near and gripped Elliot’s shoulder. “Just the man I wanted to see. I need your help.”

“With what?”

“I need a diversion at the ball so I can pull my Mystery Woman away from the crowd so I can talk to her in private. I know you and Thea don’t want to make your engagement public yet, but maybe you two could get everyone’s attention away from us by announcing your support for Mr. Clain and Miss Lottie’s engagement.”

Elliot stared. “Wait, whose engagement? And how did you know about Thea and me?”

“I have eyes, Elliot. You two are very obvious. But that’s not the issue. I arranged for Mr. Clain to have some standing in the court to grow his father’s cloth business. He has solid plans for the business and it’s an investment in him, really, but it’s allowed him to make him an attractive suitor for Miss Lottie. I was hoping they could make the announcement of their engagement at the ball and cause a distraction, but it won’t work if you and Thea don’t make a fuss. Mr. Clain and Miss Lottie are low on the social ladder and won’t draw enough attention unless the attention given to them is from someone higher. Are you following me so far?”

“Your plan seems a bit extreme just so you can talk to your Mystery Woman.”

“I can’t let her get away again. She’s been in my thoughts since I saw her and I have to know who she is. I need to find her, Elliot. I…I think I love her.”

“How can you be so sure she’ll come to the ball? Or that she feels the same way as you do? What will you do then? Throw another ball and hope for the best?”

“If she doesn’t come…” Caelen frowned slightly. “If she doesn’t come or if she does come and tells me to stop, I’ll stop. I won’t like it, but I can’t force someone to stay. But I need to know. Who she is, how she feels about me, everything. What if she’s my true love?”

“I think you need to figure that out before the ball. Right now, she’s just the Mystery Woman who escaped you. You need to know if you love her because of who she really is or because of what she represents. It’s easy to love the idea of someone, but very different to love someone for who they really are.” Elliot squeezed Caelen’s shoulder in sympathy. “Once you figure that out, come to me with your plan.” There seemed to be a knowing look in Elliot’s eyes, as if there was a piece of the puzzle Caelen didn’t have but he wasn’t ready to hand it over just yet. Elliot’s gaze spotted something over Caelen’s shoulder and he smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to spend some time with my fiancée.”

“I’m assuming Caelen found out about our engagement?” Thea asked as she drew closer to the pair. She took Elliot’s arm, smiling up at him. “Oh, well. I don’t mind. And I do love being called your fiancée.” Thea turned to her brother. “Do you need my fiancé for anything else, brother?”

Caelen shook his head and watched them walk away. Thea had become happier since she’d found Elliot. She’d taken a chance on him shortly after seeing him and it had paid off for her, just as his parents’ marriage had been a happy union for them. Was Elliot right? Was Caelen just romanticizing the Mystery Woman, hoping that she was his other half? Not all relationships were the same and what had worked for part of his family wasn’t guaranteed to work for him. What did he even know of the Mystery Woman beyond her wit and kind eyes?

He sank onto a nearby bench. Caelen believed in many things, but True Love had always been one of his more passionate beliefs. It was real; he’d seen it with his parents and he saw it with his sister. Maybe that made him an unrealistic romantic, but he’d done some good things with his beliefs. Miss Lottie and Mr. Clain’s engagement, for example. If he hadn’t stepped in, the pair would most likely have planned to elope in the dead of night or not even had a chance to be together, but now they could stand tall in court if they wished to. Caelen kept faith that he might find someone who could love as deeply and honestly as he would love them. He had wanted that for years, but it was his Lady Mystery who made him truly believe it was possible. There were no lies on her tongue or in her eyes. She was only herself and he could care less who or what she was under that mask.

Caelen paused. That was the answer. No matter who she was, it was all about how the two of them felt when they were together. But did she really feel the same as him? There was only one way to find out. He would just have to put himself out there and see if she would reject or accept him. His plan had to work, though. He just had to get her away from the rest of the ball.

With determination once more pumping through his body, Caelen strode to his rooms. There was a lot more planning to be done if he would be ready for the ball. This was his last chance.

§∞§

Thea and Elliot stopped at a bench in the shade of a willow tree during their walk through the garden. They weren’t completely hidden from the world and the few people enjoying the garden’s beauty, but the hanging branches provided enough of a barrier to give them a bit of privacy. Thea leaned into Elliot’s side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“What did Caelen want?”

“He wants us to announce our support for an engagement so people will pay attention to that and won’t notice him taking his Mystery Woman off to the side for a chat.”

“Whose engagement?”

“Mr. Clain and Lottie.”

Recognition and realization crossed over Thea’s face. “So that was why Caelen supported Mr. Clain so much to the guild talks this morning. He wanted him to have better standing so your Stepmother would approve the match.”

“And now wants to have it announced at the ball.”

“That was an awful lot of planning just to talk to the Mystery Woman.”

“Would you do the same if I was your Mystery Man?”

Thea turned to him and kissed his cheek. “In a heartbeat.”

They sat in silence for a while. Queen Serena was on the far side of the garden, chatting with a few dignitaries from Pelopo and Leopei. The couple watched the group for a while until they turned the corner of large hedge, vanishing from their sight. Elliot shifted slightly. “How is Freda?”

“She’s enjoying her work and seems to be settling in quite nicely. She even worked with Caelen on my gown for the ball last night. She says that they got along very well.”

“That sounds promising. There might be hope for the two of them yet.”

Thea chuckled. “They do seem to be doing better. We’ll just have to see how Caelen takes the news of who she is.”

Elliot nodded. “Caelen does want to know who the Mystery Woman is but I had to challenge him on whether he is in love with the idea of the woman or the woman herself.”

“It would be so much easier to tell the truth and let them figure it out now. But I’m afraid it’s not really our place. It’s their problem to solve.”

Elliot nodded. “That just leaves the problem of Stepmother and Marigold’s plans of hurting Freda and the Mystery Woman.”

Thea quickly scanned the area. No one was close enough to overhear them. She still slid closer to his side. “I received news shortly before you arrived.”

“That was fast.”

“They are very efficient. But they tell me that your stepmother and stepsister plan on hiring a man to pose as a servant who will give the Mystery Woman a drink spiked with a slow acting poison. That way both of them have an alibi and don’t become suspects.”

“Now that we know what they plan to do, we can arrest them and make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“Except that the information was received in a manner many people would consider shady. You didn’t exactly react so well when you found out.”

“But we know what they’re planning. We can stop it.”

“If I were to act on this information alone, without providing any other kind of proof, I would have to present my Spymaster and everything about them would have be out in the public. Elliot, it’s my duty to keep my Spymaster safe. They are too important to the running of the kingdom.”

“Then why would you tell me about this if you don’t have a plan of stopping Stepmother and Marigold?”

Thea smirked slightly. “I didn’t say I didn’t have a plan. We’re going to act on this information and catch them in the act. Those women plan on putting everything into motion before the ball begins. All we have to do is wait in the shadows, watch them in the act, and everything will fall into place.”

Elliot looked down at her and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I didn’t think it was possible to look beautiful while planning counter measures, but you have proven me wrong.”

She laughed and leaned against his side, smiling under the willow tree as the world moved on by.