Aurore le soleil: A Cinderella story.

Chapter 1

I ran through the forest with my father at my side. The steady rhythm of my bare feet slamming into the ground intermingled with the sounds of birds and the general sounds of the woods. The ground was soft underneath my feet, the dirt moist and full of leaves that had fallen from the trees above. My inky black hair tumbled and bounced over my shoulders, catching on the branches and twigs, getting small bits of matter caught in it's flowing tresses. The leaves on the trees matched my eyes exactly, their shades of green reflecting the ones in my iris. The forest was truly beautiful in spring, with the sunlight filtering through the tops of the trees, casting a faint greenish yellow glow over everything. The air was crisp and sweet, just the right temperature. The clawing branches of the trees attempted to snare me as I passed, but I paid them no attention. I just kept running, letting the forest air intoxicate me into oblivion. I felt so free, as if I could take flight at any moment. I opened my arms wide and imagined soaring high above the treetops with the birds. Oh what a joy it would be to fly, being able to leave myself behind and just let go. I envied the birds for their freedom and carefree spirit. I barely paid attention to where I was going as I imagined the life of a bird. Soon enough, however, I was pulled back to reality by my father's voice.

"Aurore, please slow yourself down. I am not as young and spirited as you, and I cannot keep up."

"Yes father."

I stopped at a collapsed tree. It was covered in ivy and the top was covered with moss. I sat down on the log, the moss wet and moist underneath me, giving a cool reprieve to my heated run. Soon after I had sat, my father joined me, panting and red in the face, though he had not run nearly as far or fast as I had. He had aged though, as was evident in the lines of his face and the grey streaks starting to occur in his hair and beard. We sat for a couple of minutes whilst my father caught his breath.

"Father, may we continue our run now?" I said, eager to resume my earlier antics.

"Later, first there is something I must speak of with you."

"Well speak of it then, for I have no wish to delay our run further."

"Aurore, I am aware of how you have been raised without a woman to call your mother. I wished your dear mother was still here to see what a pretty young woman you have grown into, however that is not so. I have come to the conclusion that no matter how hard I try, you still need a mother figure in your life."

"But father, you have done an excellent job of raising me."

"Be that as it may, I still wish for you to have a mother. That is why I have decided to remarry."

"Remarry!?"

My head spun at the thought. My father had raised me my whole life by himself, why did he feel the need to marry now? Did he feel he had not done a good enough job? That I was some sort of failure as a daughter? My father seemed to read my thoughts.

"Aurore, it is not that I have not raised you properly, it just seems that you could use a woman in your life. Someone to look up to, to model yourself after."

"But must you remarry? What about mother?"

I could see the tears that welled in his eyes as I spoke of mother.

"I know she would have wished for me to be happy…she would have encouraged this, I believe."

I sighed. 

"I know it will be difficult for you Aurore, but I believe it to be for the best."

"Father, you can't have told me this unless you have found someone suitable. Who is it you intend to marry?"

"Her name is Ethel Chandel. She is a lady of the court, but was widowed some two years ago. We met at the Dephuntane ball 5 months ago, and have met 5 times since. She has two daughters, one who is your age, and one who is two years your senior. Their names are Camille and Ivy, and both are perfectly lovely young girls. They currently live at the palace of Teilldah, where you visited when you were younger, do you remember?"