The Glass Chelsea Boot (A Cinderella Story)

o n e

The letter with a royal blue wax seal looked very out of place amongst the others sitting on the floor in the Cowell entry hall, but the 18 year old boy with the curly hair and green eyes paid no mind to any of them as he ran about the house.

He had woken up late and was now frantically preparing breakfast for the three other members of the household.

Simon always had a hot lemon water (243 millilitres of water, 4 tablespoons of lemon juice), a Yorkshire tea (no milk, two sugars), and oatmeal with honey and apples.

Eleanor would have a fruit salad with watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, as well as her own cup of Yorkshire tea with just a dash of milk.

Kendall got two pieces of avocado toast on sourdough bread and an iced coffee. Salt and pepper on the toast, sugar and milk in the coffee.

He had only just managed to place each of the trays on the table and dash back into the kitchen, before his step-relatives left their bedrooms for breakfast. 

Harry let out a sigh of relief and began to start on his other chores for the day.

He opened the parlour's windows, breathing in the morning air with a smile, before pushing open the side door into his bedroom.

Simon saw it fitting that he moved into the maid's quarters of the house considering he was performing their daily tasks and of course, the girls were going to need the extra closet space that his room upstairs could so easily provide.

Harry didn't mind, in fact he found it pleasant to be so close to the backyard and kitchen of the house, only the fear his stepfather provided made his time with-

"Harry! Where is the post?!" 

A loud booming voice echoed through the house making Harry drop the basket of washing he was carrying and dart quickly to the front door.

He swept up a pile of letters and ran up the stairs, stumbling a couple times in his haste.

He knocked on the door and entered the room.

"Sorry, stepfather." He carefully placed the stack of letters in front of him and left the room, he only managed to get a few metres from the door when he heard Simon calling his stepsisters, Eleanor and Kendall, into his office.

He ignored the squeals of excitement and joy from upstairs and instead began to sweep the floors so he could clean and polish them.

"But dad what are we going to wear?!"

"I am the most unlucky girl in all of Britain, my wardrobe is a travesty!"

"Everyone is going to have such lovely ball gowns and we'll be in rags!"

"It's so not fair!"

"Girls, girls, quiet now. Harry get up here!"

Harry once again left his cleaning supplies and headed up the staircase towards the voices.

"Yes, stepfather?" He poked his head inside his old bedroom, now completely transformed into a  walk in closet, to see the two girls practically tearing apart the cupboards, looking through the clothes.

"We have been invited to a Royal ball next Friday in the Kingdom of Doncaster, I need you to-"

"A Royal ball?" Harry's jaw fell to the floor, closely followed by the broom he held in his hand.

"Do not interrupt boy! Yes. A ball. Please keep up, I suppose I should've realised by now how pathetically incompetent you are. Nonetheless you will need to go to into town and purchase the finest fabrics you can find to make new dresses for Eleanor and Kendall, understand?"

"Yes, sir. And um... stepfather, will I be allowed to attend the ball?" Harry asked, he couldn't help but be fascinated and excited at the prospect of a Royal Ball. Everyone in their fancy clothes, dining on tiny portions of food, dancing the night away. It seemed wonderful.

"You? Go to Louis Tomlinson's ball?!" Kendall scoffed and Eleanor giggled behind her hands.

"Silly boy, the Prince is looking for a bride, it is not for people like you. But listen, you can still be of help. Won't that be nice? And more your... speed..."

The girls began to laugh again.

"These dresses need to be finished by Thursday night, we will depart early on Friday and I expect only the best.

You will stay here and look after the house while we are away. Most likely indefinitely as one of my girls will of course soon be Queen of Doncaster."

And with that the three left the room, bumping shoulders roughly with him on the way out the door.

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Xx

(Published on the 4th of October 2021)