I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 7

A group of nearly a dozen men poured from inside. The one in the front slowed to a stop, spinning to look around in every direction, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. He ran a hand down his face, then pointed in either direction. The men around him split into two groups, running off to search the numerous parked vehicles lining the drive. It was then that the moonlight reflected off the small silver circlet resting atop the man's head, flashing proudly into the night. I knew immediately which royal I was looking at. 

Him.

The outer gates closed behind us, removing his tall form from my view. I finally let out the shaky breath I had been holding and slumped down into the cold leather of the seat.

Ash turned on me, "Alright, I've waited long enough. What in the hell is going on, Rosalie?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose to relieve the ache that was forming in my skull, "I'll explain later, Ash, I promise."

He grumbled, but seemed to accept that answer for now, sitting back in his own seat.

A thought occurred to me, "Wait, why were you outside anyway?"

"You don't want to know," he shot me a sly grin.

He chuckled at my confused look, "Let's just say, I was waiting for a rather pretty girl to return from checking whether or not her carriage driver was attending the vehicle."

It took me only a moment to understand his meaning. My eyes widened and my face scrunched in repulsion, "Disgusting. I did not need to know that."

He shrugged, a smirk plastered firmly on his lips, "You asked."

I made a gagging sound, turning my attention out the window as the dark capital city sped by outside, seeming much less glamorous than it had hours before. I adjusted my position, a sour feeling beginning to take form in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I should have eaten something at the feast.

A new thought occurred to me, and I burst out laughing, earning a confused brow raise from my brother.

"That poor girl," I choked out between fits of giggles, trying to explain, "is going to come back so excited and you're going to be nowhere to be found."

His eyes widened as my words sank in. Then he was laughing along with me, clutching his gut. "Oh my God," he guffawed, "I shouldn't laugh, but picture her face."

We laughed anyway for a good while, and soon, the events from earlier had temporarily slipped from my mind. As our laughter died down, we both settled back down in our seats and looked out to watch the forest streak by. I fidgeted again, the stomach ache growing with every second that passed.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked, noticing my discomfort.

I nodded, "It's nothing, just a stomach ache."

He pursed his lips, looking down at his hands in his lap. He smiled suddenly, "I feel fine, but maybe they gave us bad food at dinner. I wouldn't put it past them."

That brought all of the events of the ball back to the forefront of my mind and I found myself frowning. What am I going to do? My gaze went back to the window as I tried to think of a way out of my current predicament.

Maybe he won't find me.

I almost laughed at the stupidity of my own thought. I knew it was only a matter of time before he found me. He only needed to ask a few questions to the right people to get my name. Would Kristof tell him if he asked? Yes, I knew the answer the second the thought entered my brain. He may have been surprisingly kind to me earlier, but I did not doubt that he would give me up to another supernatural if the situation arose. From my name, he could easily find my address on the invite list, or at least narrow down his search.