A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Sixty-Two

"But Desdemona always said that-"

"To hell to what she says. You're better than you think you are. Better than she'll ever be and she knows it. That's why she tells you lies like that."

"I still don't know. She might be right in some cases and...And...And...And what's the cane for?"

Alastor extended the cane toward Blitzo, hooked him with it, and pulled him away from the crowd.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Blitzo said.

"Quiet you!" Alastor ordered. "Now get the organ ready before this crowd really gets ugly."

"Alastor please don't make me do this." Charlotte pleaded. "I'll screw up. I'll make a total fool of myself."

But he had to make do this. He had to make her see her own self-worth and magnificent gifts. To see herself as someone wonderful instead of inferior. Just like she had to make him leave the forest and go out into society for the evening. To make him join life instead of hiding from it.

"You'll be perfect, my dear." He handed one page of the new song and then ushered her in front of the crowd, handed the new sheet music to the alps.

Suddenly a hush fell over the crowd upon seeing the beautiful Charlotte stand before them. They couldn't help it, they were stricken completely speechless but her incredible and unmatched beauty. Every inch of her appearance was flawless, from her head down to her toes. She truly was the fairest of them all.

But she didn't feel like it. In fact she ft so nervous she could hardly breathe, let alone sing. She looked back hoping that Blitzo or somebody would use that cane to pull her away but instead, Alastor just gave her a look of encouragement and whispered,

"I'll be right here if you need me. I swear I will not allow them to throw one thing at you."

There was no way out, she might as well get it over with. Charlotte turned back to the audience, looked down at the song in her hands, took a deep breath, and finally began to sing."

"Can....Anybody..."

She cleared her throat.

"Find me...Somebody to..."

"Love..." Moxxie and Millie sang supportively.

Blitzo quickly picked up the song by playing the built in organ, followed by the instruments played by Moxxie and Millie. The audience's irritation turned to intrigue, all eyes were on Charlotte now.

"Each morning I get up, I die a little.
Can barely stand on my feet.
Take a look in the mirror and cry,
Lord what you're doing to me?

I've spent all my years believing you,
But I just can't get no relief.
Lord, somebody."

"Somebody!" Moxxie and Millie repeated.

"Somebody, somebody.
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"

Charlotte saw the crowd smile at her and look so pleased with her voice and the song, it caused all her fear and insecurity to fade away. Soon she was singing out loud from her heart and soul, giving it all true passion.

"Got no feel, I got no rhythm.
I just keep losing my beat.
I'm okay, I'm alright,
Ain't gonna face no defeat.

I just gotta get out of this prison cell.
Someday I'm gonna be free.
Lord, somebody."

"Somebody!" Moxxie and Millie sang on.

"Somebody, somebody.
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"

"She works hard." The alps sang.

"Everyday, I try and I try, and I try.
But everybody wants to put me down,
They say that I'm going crazy.

They say I'm going crazy.
They say I got a lot of water in my brain,
I've got no common sense, I got nobody left to believe in."

Once she started dance there was no stopping her now. Then all around her, people were singing and dancing, cheering her on. She couldn't believe it. She was actually good. Really good. Back at the castle, if her stepmother ever heard her singing she would tell her be silent because she sounded awful and that her father only liked it cause he was a tone-deaf fool. That no one else would enjoy it and that she had no talent.

But Alastor knew she had talent. He knew everyone would love her voice just as much as he did and as he watched her express herself freely through passionate dance and song, he became even more enchanted with her.

"Find her somebody to love." Moxxie, Millie, and the crowd sang.

"Find her somebody to love,
Find her somebody to love,
Find her somebody to love,
Find her somebody to love."

Can anybody find me?"

Charlotte got a little carried away with her dancing. She slipped and started to fall, Alastor acted fast. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back on to her feet but she ended up falling into his arms. They were face to face now, both feeling a moment of bashfulness. Then she smiled at him.

"Somebody to..." She sang, causing him to smile too and slowly dip her. "Love."

"Find somebody to love." The crowd sang.

Alastor lifted her up on to her feet and they took a moment to just quietly sway to the chorus, looking into each other's eyes. It felt as if everything and everyone had just faded away. Charlotte's breath was caught in her throat and her heart began to beat faster.

"Find me somebody to love,
Find me somebody to love,
Find me somebody to love,
Find me somebody to love."

The spell was broken when the song ended and the audience exploded into loud cheers and applause, tossing countless coins out to them. Coins that were copper, brass, and silver. Blitzo immediately jumped to gather up as many as he could fit into his pockets.

"This is our biggest haul ever!" He announced. "Moxxie! Millie! Don't just stand there! Help me grab all this loot!"

But the alp couple was too busy watching Charlotte and Alastor with smiles of anticipation. Watching and smiling at the way the two held were blushing as they spoke with one another.

"See?" He chuckled shyly. "I told you that you would be perfect."

"Well I...I wouldn't say perfect." She was playing with her hair again. "I think I might need some lessons."

"I don't think so but Moxxie could give them to you, if you'd like. He taught me how to sing."

"Oh I didn't know you could sing. I've never once heard you."

"Well I don't do it very much. I don't have a reason to sing."

"What does that mean?"

"I only sing when I feel like it. When I gave some form of motivation. So far I haven't had any."

"What about tonight? Why couldn't you be the one to sing? Why did it have to be me?"

"Because you needed to know that you could sing." He said. "You needed to know just how talented you really are. You didn't believe me when I told you that you were. So I showed you."

Charlotte's smile was suddenly as bright as the sun and her eyes sparkled like a thousand stars. She took his hand, holding softly.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Alastor's face turned as red as his mane, he pulled his hood down to cover his entire face.

"Please excuse me, I think I'm going to help Blitzo with the money."

Moxxie and Millie giggled under their breaths, beaming with joy and pride.

"Ah, young love." The couple sighed tenderly.