Cinderella vs. the Fairy Godmother (sequel)

Chapter 45

             Valerie staggered back to her room, drunk with exhaustion. The early afternoon sunlight burned into her eyes, making her wince and keep to the shadows as she made her meandering way down the pink hall, Isaac yawning behind her. She shooed him off to his room, glad he was only two doors down. She’d have felt bad if he’d had to walk further just to see her back. Darren was taking her safeguards to new extremes after the poisoning attempt. She sighed and rubbed at her eyes before opening her door.

Not bothering to do more than kick off her shoes, she fell face first onto her bed, prepared to sleep until the morning came again. The crinkle sound and the feel of crumpled paper against her cheek stopped her. She pushed herself up onto her arms and glared down at the grimy brown envelope that sat on her pillow. She groaned and shoved herself into a sitting position picking up the letter and checking to make sure it hadn’t left dirt in her bed.

Satisfied, she checked actually looked at the paper she held. The envelope only said Lady Valerie, no sender or return address. She frowned, considered briefly getting someone to check the letter over, then decided getting to sleep faster was preferable. She ripped the envelope open and pulled the carefully folded letter out.

The opening lines made her eyebrows go up and a slight smile appeared on her face. A few lines later and the smile evaporated as the colour in her face fled in a rush. By the end of the letter, her hands were trembling and any thought of sleep had long fled.

She leapt off the bed and raced out the door, blowing past Sora without a word. She banged frantically on Isaac’s door until he yanked it open, glaring at her with bleary eyes above a bare chest. He took one look at her face and groped one handed for the shirt he’d tossed on his table as soon as he’d shut the door. “What?”

“We need to get the council back together. Now!” She said, voice getting high and loud by the end.

He nodded. “I can roust Err and he can go find Griffson and Tolsten. You go get Brendis, Asterria and Darren.”

She didn’t nod, just turned and flew down the hall, her hair flowing out like a red banner behind her. She dodged around the handful of people inside on a sunny autumn day, not even hearing the whispers her passage sparked into existence. With no clear idea of how she got there, Valerie found herself pounding on the door to Darren’s parents’ rooms.

The king looked surprised to see her there but stood aside to let her in without a word. Valerie stopped when she stood in the middle of the room, a bit of her relieved to see Darren was still there. Panting, pale and with sweat beading down the sides of her face, she held the letter out to Darren. “This was on my bed,” she said, her voice trembling as much as her hands.

He frowned as he took the letter, pursing his lips as he began reading. She watched as his eyes quickly widened and his face became the same colour as hers. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he began pacing the room, the letter still clutched his one fisted hand. She watched him walk the length of the room, his hand running through his hair on every fourth step.

By the time the rest of the council arrived, his hair was sticking up all over and Valerie’s trembling was pronounced. “What is it?” Griffson growled, lack of sleep not improving his stubble, bloodshot eyes, or his temper.

Darren stopped and whirled to face them, waving the letter at them. Isaac sighed and plucked the paper out of the prince’s hand and began to read it aloud.

Dear Not-A-Lady Valerie,

I hope this letter finds you safe at the palace and unharmed. I also hope you have not killed my cousin yet. You will need him.

I do not know if the letter Konah sent you three days ago will have reached you. I fear he has put too much trust in his godmother’s ability to remain sane. I had to suggest that he send the letter with a courier he knew and trusted and to swear the man to him.

On the chance that his letter has not come, I will tell you that many of the northern countries and some of the western and central ones have formed an alliance. Konah still believed they truly did only wish to return to traditions at the time that he wrote his letter. He has come to learn otherwise to his horror.

Half of the countries seek to expand their borders. Several of the others joined out of, justified, fear of the godmother. She has been stretching her powers farther and farther out, creating havoc.

While that would be worrying under ordinary circumstances, as I am certain you have noticed, she has developed an obsession with you. Nothing either of us has said has registered with her. No, that is incorrect. She did notice that we would not follow her plans and had every intention of interfering.

Which is why we are now locked into Konah’s rooms. The entire palace lives in fear of her. A few frozen bodies along with those she pricked with her ice, turning them into her puppets have left us with nearly no allies. I have bribed a man to pass this letter on to his kin in the hope that it will reach you. I fear that if it does not, my homeland will fall.

The alliance is massing to invade Armith. Those countries nearest wish to split it and its neighbours amongst themselves. The godmother’s only interest is you.

If you are not preparing for war now, you must begin swiftly. I think it will be no more than three weeks before they will be upon you. For the land I still love, I beg you to gather allies to defend yourselves. Only force will stop the alliance.

I hope we both live through this. But I fear it will be a vain hope.

Please tender my apologies and well wishes to my Aunt and Uncle.

 

Amorrt

Isaac’s mouth shut and no one moved or made a sound.