A Different Cinderella

The rest of the month passed quickly for everyone. Freda was kept busy with Thea’s dress, Elliot followed every order from his stepmother, and the royal heirs oversaw the planning of the ball. In that time, Freda had made a few more trips to the palace on dress business, but managed to sneak in a few moments of friendly visiting with the princess. They found comfort in each other’s company when the formalities were disregarded and their talks usually ended in friendly laughter or teasing as if they had been friends for years. Freda was pleasantly surprised to see more of the princess’ fun loving side and to learn that she would rather be out in the gardens than in constant meetings. It soon became Freda’s mission to get the princess outside as much as she could during their visits. Their outings were the perfect remedy for Thea’s fatigue from the constant duties of the throne. Seeing the princess relax during their visits made Freda more concerned about the princess and she doubled down on her efforts to ease the princess’ stress.

Every once in a while, Freda would run into the prince, but he only tipped his head and moved on. She preferred polite detachment than to anything he might have to say about her skills. Her temper had cooled since their first encounter, but she wouldn’t be forgetting his words any time soon. But there was an unnamed look is his eyes that always seemed to stay with Freda for a while after their encounters. It was like a slow simmer under her skin; it wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strange. Thea only smiled slightly when she heard this. There were times when Freda wasn’t sure what was going on in the royal’s mind.

On the morning of the ball, Freda proudly presented the finished dress. Thea looked at her reflection and smiled as she turned to see all of it in the polished glass. “This is truly magnificent, Freda.”

“Thank you,” Freda said, smiling as the princess twirled in a small circle. “You’re going to look beautiful tonight.”

Thea turned to her friend. “What could I possibly do to thank you for such wonderful work?”

“Your praise is good enough. I’ve enjoyed the challenge.”

“There must be something.” The princess smiled at a sudden idea. “How would you like to come to the ball?”

Freda’s mouth fell open. The only kind of events she’d ever attended were the ones held in her town. They were nothing on the scale of a royal ball. There was no telling what she’d see or who she’d meet. This was a once in a life time opportunity for someone like her. “I would love to.”

“Then it’s settled.” Walking over to her writing desk, Thea pulled out a cream colored envelope and pressed it into Freda’s hands. “This is an invitation that will see you past the doors. I would so love to see you enjoying yourself tonight. Maybe dance with your special man.” She wiggled her eyebrows slightly.

Freda laughed as she slid the invitation into her skirt pocket. “I keep telling you that Elliot’s just a friend. Anyway, he’s escorting his stepmother and stepsisters tonight.”

“That’s nice of him.”

Freda shrugged and collected her things. Elliot wasn’t a fan of playing the part of chaperone and escort. Especially when his stepmother had certain standards when it came to his duty to his stepsisters. Lottie usually kept to herself at social events, rarely wandering far from the sidelines, but Marigold was a handful. Freda had seen the woman’s snobbish attitude and outlandish flirtations first hand at a number of seasonal dances and parties. Freda slipped the invitation into her bag and shouldered it with a grin. “Well, I better head home. I have to find something to wear.”

As it turned out, Freda had nothing to wear to the ball that night. Most of her closet consisted of work dresses and only one nice dress for church, but it was hardly the proper thing to wear for a royal ball. She sank down onto her bed and sighed. She’d been looking forward to surprising Elliot and making his evening a bit more enjoyable. But she couldn’t go if the best thing she had was a simple church dress.

The door to her small room opened and Mrs. Webber smiled her from the doorway. “What’s the matter, dear?”

“Thea gave me an invitation to the ball as a reward for the work I did on her dress and I’d really like to go, but I don’t have anything nice to wear.”

Mrs. Webber hummed with a slight nod. She scratched her chin and said, “Well, I do have something downstairs that might fit you. It’s an order that was canceled before I finished it. It’s a little dated but I could have it ready for you in an hour or so with a bit of work. Mary’s help would make it go faster.”

Freda sat up straighter on the bed. “You mean it, Mrs. Webber?”

“Of course. A young thing like you should go out and enjoy herself while you have the chance. Now, go take a bath and get yourself ready. I’ll bring the dress up after I’m done.”

Freda scrambled off the bed and rushed to the washroom. She was going to the ball!

§∞§

Elliot really wished he could have skipped this night, but it was his responsibility to see that his stepmother and stepsisters were looked after during any social occasion. That meant he had to be a dance partner for any of them if they wished to dance and were not otherwise asked by a gentleman, provide conversation to keep them entertained, and anything else Stepmother told him to do. But first, he had to get through the family’s presentation to the royal family once they were announced. Stepmother had forced all of them to practice their entrance for two hours while the girls were getting ready. Elliot was certain he could do it in his sleep by now.

Marigold stood on his right, her gaze scanning those also waiting to be announced. Her eyes twinkled when she saw an eligible man but turned cold on all of the women waiting their chance to catch the prince’s eye. She was dressed in a red gown that was snug around her waist and chest, emphasizing her curves before flaring out around her legs. White lace had been sewn around her collar to add a touch of innocence. At least, that was the excuse she had snapped out when Elliot had questioned the choice. Personally, he thought it made her look slightly cheap, but it made sense that Stepmother would throw her support behind the design. If she wanted to push her daughter out in public like that, there was nothing he could do to stop her. Not that he felt the need to do or say anything after a month of their focused preparations. So he’d let Marigold act as horribly as she wanted. He planned on distancing himself as much as he could from her behavior after the presentation.

Lottie clutched Elliot’s arm hard, bringing his attention to his left side. Her gaze was focused on the stitches along the hem of her dress. Her lovely light blue gown wasn’t nearly as tight as Marigold’s but did a fine job making her appear soft and gentle. Her hands, covered in soft white elbow length gloves, were fidgety and restless against his arm. If it weren’t for years of Stepmother stressing the importance of their make up and decorum in public, Lottie would most likely be chewing on her lips and destroying the paint that had been carefully applied shortly before leaving the house. Elliot flexed his arm, catching her attention as he squeezed her hand resting in the crook of his elbow. He could see the nervousness in her blue gaze.

“Breathe,” he said gently. Lottie took a shaky breath in and slowly let it out. He nodded and she did it a few more times, her shoulders loosening and dropping with each repetition until they were no longer tense. “You’ll be fine. They’re just people like you or me. A simple smile, curtsy, and then you can walk away. All right?”

Her smile was shaky, but more confident than before. “Just people,” she repeated. Elliot nodded. She looked up as another family announced and moved to greet the royals. Her eyes widened and she turned back to him. “They’re not just people, Elliot, they’re royals. Royals, Elliot!” Though her voice was low, the panic was growing enough to attract attention from a few people around them. Marigold sneered slightly at her sister before returning her attention to an earl nearby who wasn’t even trying to hide his leering gaze.

“Lottie, get a hold of yourself,” Stepmother hissed through a fake smile. “Nerves,” she explained to those watching. The people nodded in understanding and turned away. Stepmother shot Elliot a look demanding he fix the situation.

Elliot slipped his arm free from Marigold’s hand and turned to Lottie, gently gripping her shoulders so she was forced to focus on only him. “Lottie, take a breath. Good. That’s good. Slowly let it out. Good, Lottie. Now, listen very carefully. They may be royalty, but they are still people. They may be used to all of this ceremony, but I’m sure there was a time they were nervous, too, and they will understand how you feel. There’s no reason to worry.”

“What if I stumble? Or fall on my face?”

“If you stumble or fall, you get back up as if it never happened and carry on. If you don’t think about it, neither will they.”

Lottie suddenly paled. “What if I get sick?”

“Then I’ll help you get cleaned up. I’ll be next to you the whole time.” Lottie smiled, color returning to her cheeks. The family in front of them was announced and moved away from the line. “Are you ready?” Lottie squared her shoulders, gave a firm nod, and curled her hand back into the crook of his arm. A look of determination settled on her face and Elliot couldn’t help but feel proud of his sister.

Marigold reluctantly took his other arm, barely resting her fingertips on the top of his sleeve. Stepmother looked them over with a gaze clearly ordering them not to mess this up, and turned back toward the front as the announcer spoke again.

“Presenting Mrs. McKinley, her son Elliot McKinley, and her daughters Miss Marigold and Lottie Platt.”

Elliot made sure that his pace was slow and steady, keeping his distance behind Stepmother while making sure that his stepsisters wouldn’t trip over their feet as they made their way to the platform.

Queen Serena sat tall in her throne while the one next to hers remained empty and draped with a black silk cloth; the throne meant for the departed king. Her gown was her usual trademark dark shade of purple and the only jewelry pieces she wore were a single string of pearls, matching earrings, and a diamond ring on her left hand. They had been the first gifts her husband had ever given her. They, along with the dark purple color of her wardrobe, were the only things the queen had vowed to wear for the rest of her days in honor of her husband’s memory.

To the queen’s left was her son, Prince Caelen, clad in his bright military dress uniform and his features schooled into a neutral mask, though he couldn’t stop his eyes from expressing his boredom. His dark hair was combed away from his face, showing off his strong features while his broad shoulders filled out his uniform. Elliot could see how many thought him handsome. He didn’t need to look at Marigold to know that she was already casting hooded and sultry looks at the prince.

Perched on the edge of the last throne, placed on the right side of the king’s, was Princess Thea. Where her brother was stiff and firm, she was warm and welcoming. Her auburn locks were intricately twisted around her head, held in place with delicate pearl encrusted hairpins. Instead of the blue she was known to consistently wear, she wore a pale green sleeveless gown with a train Elliot somehow knew would flow effortlessly behind her once she stood. A delicate floral design was sewn into the corset that seemed to flatten and narrow her torso. The hem was decorated with a series of swirls that resembled twisting vines with blossoming roses reaching up to her hips. Elliot easily recognized Freda’s work. He made a note to compliment her next time he saw her, but he had to pull himself back to the moment at hand. He’d spent far too much time studying the royals and had to focus on the presentation.

The family stopped in front of the platform. Stepmother and Marigold curtsied low, the latter casting the prince a coy look from under her eyelashes while angling herself to emphasize her chest. Elliot bowed and gave Lottie’s hand a squeeze when she didn’t move right away. She shook herself free of her nerves and curtsied, though it wasn’t as low as her sister’s or mother’s.

“Rise,” Queen Serena said. Lottie’s hand tightened on Elliot’s arm again as they stood. “We are pleased that you could attend tonight.”

“We are honored to have been invited, Your Majesty,” Stepmother said, bobbing another curtsy. “May I present my eldest daughter, Marigold,” she lowered her head slightly with a slight upturn of her lips directed slightly at the emotionless prince, “my youngest daughter, Lottie,” the girl blinked for a moment before lowering her gaze quickly, “and my stepson, Elliot.” He gave a respectful nod.

Queen Serena nodded once. “Welcome and enjoy your evening.”

The family curtsied and bowed one last time before making their way off to the side to allow the other presentations. The moment they were away from the royals and out of the way to not attract too much attention, Stepmother turned on them.

“You two,” she looked at Elliot and Lottie as Marigold drew her hand away from his arm, wiping it on the folds of her skirt, “should have tried to capture the prince’s and princess’ attention. Were you even listening to my instructions this afternoon? Is Marigold the only one who is taking this seriously?”

Lottie, who had been thrilled to get through the whole thing without embarrassing herself, deflated under her mother’s criticism. Elliot frowned and was glad when Stepmother moved her attention to Marigold, praising her and encouraging her to turn her attention to the earl from before. He turned back to Lottie, watching as she tried hard not to let her bottom lip tremble. She returned her attention to the hem of her skirt.

“I think you did wonderfully.”

She looked up at him, her eyes shining slightly. “But Mother said-”

“Forget what she said. You held yourself with the dignity and class of any lady here. It is an honor to escort you.” He smiled as he watched the doubt leave her eyes to be replaced with grateful confidence and a corresponding smile lit up her features.

“Thank you, Elliot.”

“My pleasure. Now, how about we get a drink? I’m suddenly very thirsty after all that ceremony.” Lottie giggled slightly and allowed him to lead her over to the refreshment table, eager to put distance between them and the other two members of their family.