Cinderella

The After

-Cinderella-

She was free. She twisted her dress around in the wind and pulled her hair out of its confines and she slipped out of her shoes and stepped into the lazy creek that ran through the castle gardens.

She was mesmerized by the life contained in the show moving creek. Tiny fish Swam around her and water bugs zipped over the top of the water.

She was ankle-deep in the water as she followed crawdads and ...

"What in the world are you doing?" Charles called from the edge of the creek. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his hands were stained with ink. She smiled.

"You have meetings." She accused.

"I know." He laughed. "Come here." He beckoned to her from the edge of the creek.

She considered it for a moment but decided against it.

"You asked me to help you focus on your work, and I intend to keep my promise." She said.

"If I have to chase after you, it will only delay me from my work further." He called after her.

"I do not give in to threats."

He audibly sighed and she heard splashing behind her that made her cross faster. She collected the folds of her dress and stepped between large stones that made a path through the creek.

"If you kill yourself, I will be furious." He called after her. When she wobbled dangerously on a slick stone.

She laughed and barely emerged from the creek before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into ankle-deep water.

"My boots are ruined." He said, pressing a kiss to the base of her neck.

"You can afford another pair." She replied, slipping out of his grasp like an eel.

She only went another dozen steps before he had wrapped both his arms around her waist in an inescapable hold.

"Do you see that window right there?" He asked, turning them both to point at a window tucked into the corner of the castle with the perfect view over the creek. "I took a small break to clear my head and I happened to look out that window, and to my complete surprise, I saw my wife, wild and shoeless, catching crawdads in the creek. What do you have to say for yourself?

She grinned up at him and squirmed in his grasp, but he was not letting her go without an answer.

"I was helping your mother add embellishments to her tapestry."

"I remember that. She has been telling everyone who would listen for an entire week that you were coming to help her."

"and I have been! We have been at it for hours and then I decided that I needed to stretch my legs."

"-and stretching your legs turned into this?"

Ella smiled, "Yes. I have come to realize something." She declared, a stupid grin on her face.

"What did you realize?"

"I am a Princess."

His eyes snapped to hers with a gleam of hope shining in them. His lips met hers in the kind of kiss that she could feel all the way to her toes.

"What was that for?" She asked when he pulled away breathless.

"That's the first time you have said it."

She smiled, "I also had another realization."

"What?"

"I realized that someday, we are going to have to leave Bellview and live here."

His forehead met hers and he looked into her eyes, "That is not for a while yet. My father will be King for many years to come."

"Of course, your mother and father are not leaving anytime soon, but maybe we could start staying here a few weeks out of the month."

He laughed, "Has my mother been that pleasant this morning?"

"No, well she has not been bad, but this is your home and because of that, it has started to feel like my home. If you are going to be king someday, if I am going to be Queen someday, we are going to need to start learning the ropes."

His hand brushed her hair behind her ears and gratitude poured from him. He never talked about becoming King, but she could feel how the stress affected him. Each time he returned home from the castle or received a mountain of paperwork from his father there was a tense set to his shoulders that came with them.

He would not let her face anything alone because he loved her, and now she must return the favor.

"Your burdens are mine. Your responsibilities are mine and I am happy for them because you are mine." She said, and she drew up on her tippy toes so that she could brush a kiss against his lips.

"Charles!" A voice interrupted them and pulled them apart.

Derrick stood across the stream.

"What?" He asked, without turning from Ella. "I am busy and do not wish to be interrupted!"

"They told me to come find you. The council has been resumed for some time."

Charles looked back to Ella. "Tell them I have fallen suddenly ill or that I have urgent business to attend to." He said.

"They can see you from the window Charles." Derrick called across the creek.

Ella turned a few shades red and tried to turn back to the castle, but Charles pulled on her hair, keeping her attention.

"They could not be watching from the window if the council has been resumed."

Ella laughed, but she put her hand against his chest.

"You should go." She said.

"I should stay."

"I promised I would not be a distraction, and I am going to uphold that promise."

"You do not have to uphold any promises made to me this morning. I was a fool. A complete idiot."

"I love that idiot. Now go, before I get cross."

He kissed her once more, desperate and hungry. His hand traveled down her back and pulled her against him, deepening the kiss. She was shocked at the sudden change in his demeanor, but she melted against him and her hand ran through his hair.

"You both know I am still here right?" Derrick asked.

Ella smiled and Charles finally pulled back with a cranky growl.

"Maybe we should have Derrick tell them you have fallen ill." Ella said. It was selfish, but that last kiss stirred her desire up and now she wanted more.

"Don't tell me that. You are the one who is supposed to remain strong." He said.

"I will be strong in other things." She was weak when it came to him.

"I am going to go. There is one more thing I must attend to, but I will be back, quickly. Right here."

"I will try not to wander off somewhere."

"If you leave your shoes behind for me to find, I swear on all that is holy that you will regret it."

"How else are you supposed to know that I want you to find me?"

-THE END-

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