Cinderella

Epilogue

Although that night the prince's urgent entreaties, assisted by Anna's insistence so that the young lady would fulfil the medic's suggestions had been obeyed and Deirdre did, in fact, return to her room to have a good night's rest, the following nights were almost sleepless for her. This time, though, not because of her sickness, but rather because of her decision.

At first, Deirdre had been trying to convince Deirdre to leave the prince's bedchamber, but he needed to capitulate once he heard Gerard's words.

"You may stay, Deirdre," said the prince at that time, smiling softly as he looked at his fiancée, who was still persistently sitting on the chair, although just a moment before Jakub had been trying to find a way to make her leave without sounding too blatant. "I like it when you are close to me."

"But... Your Highness..." began Jakub quite hesitantly. "The young lady... she, too, should have some rest."

"I shall rest here. I may sleep in the chair, it is quite comfortable indeed," immediately answered Deirdre, and it became rather obvious that she had no intention of yielding.

"Let her be, Jakub," said the prince, this time emphatically. "The young lady has every right to stay here and to leave whenever she feels like it."

When he turned towards Deirdre, he could not help but smile; for he understood that the girl had finally felt at home there, in the castle. Had it not been so, she would have obeyed the servant's pleas. However, she apparently had begun to learn what the tutors could not have taught her – how to be a princess. After all, she was no longer a servant at some Irish noble's house; soon, she was to become the most prominent of all the women in the vicinity.

It did not mean, of course, that the prince was not worried about her health – however, before all, he wanted Deirdre to feel at ease. He had already had a rather painful lesson that when someone tried to influence her against her will, the effect was quite the opposite than intended. The girl needed to be comfortable. She also had to know that it was also her home, that no-one would ever try to force her to do anything in there. And this kind of peace, too, could help her get better.

Soon, Jakub bowed and having wished the prince and the young lady a good night, he left, closing the door behind himself. The room was swallowed by silence, if not for a soft sizzling of the sole candle standing on the side-table.

"You do know that you should go back to your room and rest, do you not?" asked the prince at some point. Deirdre blushed slightly, but it remained unnoticed in the pale light of the candle. "I am not ordering you to leave now. You have, just as I told Jakub, every right to stay here. However, do remember that you should also mind your own health."

"I will be all right," answered Deirdre, shaking her head. "I feel rather well by now. Besides, you being in this state is my fault."

Gerard flinched slightly and the girl thought that she had said something wrong, but it turned out that the prince simply tried to lift himself from the pillows – and his body still acted against him, which annoyed him immeasurably.

"No, Deirdre," the man answered. "It is not your fault. I fell prey to my own envy and vehemence. I needed to learn this lesson at some point, and it being so painful... well..." He sighed. "I do not want you to blame yourself. It would be best if you could forget about the event, for I know it is just as unpleasant for you as it is for me."

The young lady cast her eyes down and put her hands in her lap, saying nothing. She knew that her loss was nothing compared to the prince's experiences. The cabin had been burnt, according to what Gerwazy had said, and the past along with it. Now, it was the time for her and Gerard to bury it.