Cinderella

Two Lives

-The Prince-

The castle was buzzing the next day. Charles walked into breakfast and his mother and father were already sitting across from Lydia as she told her war stories from the night before.

He managed to sit down and fill his plate without anyone drawing any attention away from Lydia's story. He half-listened to her wild tale about the minister's wife dancing with the town drunk until the minister himself stepped between them and a fight broke out.

"Ridiculous!" Their mother commented. "and in front of royalty too! They ought to be ashamed of themselves." She said, staring at her eggs as if they were the ones who had offended her sensibilities.

"They could not have fought a very good fight. I did not see any ministers rolling around with any inebriates." He added between bites.

Lydia shot him a wide grin as if she was waiting for him to say something. "That is because you spent the entire night staring after a woman!" She said triumphantly.

His mother turned to him accusingly and his father even raised his head from his breakfast.

"Who?" His mother asked after a long pause.

The Prince opened his mouth to respond, but Lydia beat him to it.

"He danced to two songs with her. Even with the minister throwing punches, Charles was still the talk of the ball."

"Dancing with the same woman more than once hardly qualifies for the talk of the town. Even if it is the Prince! Who is she?"

The Queen asked again, but Lydia was not done.

"It was not just the dancing. At the start of the night she ran right into him and poured wine all over his coat." their mother gasped in horror, but Lydia still was not done. "Then at the last dance, Charles was dancing with her in under a minute she ran out of the dance hall, leaving him standing there like an idiot. I think I love her."

"Thank you, Lydia." Charles said dryly.

She smiled at him and turned back to their mother. "and when I say "ran" I mean she had to barrel through about thirty people. It was the craziest thing I have ever seen."  

Lydia sighed and sank into her chair and beamed a smile at him.

"Is she serious?" His mother demanded.

"I wonder what kind of jam this is." He said while using his knife to poke at the dish. He tried to look extremely interested in his toast, but his mother would never let anything go so easily.

"She poured a drink on you, and you still danced with her? It was clearly a scheme to grab your attention. She's a royal chaser. She had nothing in mind but the crown."

Charles sighed, His mother was impossible whenever she was worked up into a hysterical state. He sighed, putting down his toast, "I was carrying the drinks. I poured them on her."

"I am sure she arranged it that way." His mother said with clear disdain.

"She still ran out on you during that last dance." Lydia said matter-of-factly.

"Perhaps she remembered she left her lanterns burning near her firewood." His father offered, taking an interest in the conversation.

"Well, I for one am happy she ran out. She sounds horrible." His mother said finally.

"She is not horrible. She was quick and funny. She did not melt on the spot when I spoke to her."

"How beautiful are we talking?" His father asked.