Cinderella

Happiness

To say the prince had no faults at all would be a lie. One of the worst of the defects of his was his inability to wait and impatience, which sometimes made staying with the man in one room so burdensome that almost unattainable. Those were also not the only weaknesses of his personality; one could not help but mention his inclination for morbid jealousy or even possessiveness, his unexpected outbursts of fury which could also lead to aggression, or his bitterness.

And yet, he was not a man evil by nature. Generally, he was capable of gaining control over his outburst, and for the majority of the time, he was, in fact, a pleasant companion. He was, after all, marked by an exquisite ability of endearing people, eloquence and a wide range of interests. This made him a brilliant interlocutor. Deirdre could have already noticed it at the very first ball when she had met him for the first time. For although she had been not as educated as he was, and she knew nothing on many subjects, he had never allowed her to feel that. Moreover, the moments spent with him dancing and conversing she remembered as truly pleasant.

Furthermore, he was a surprisingly good dancer, bearing in mind the fact that for the majority of the time he kept stooping and limping. At dancing, he was not inferior in any aspect to the rest of young people. That was also perhaps the time when he smiled most, and that, after all, did not happen all that often, mainly because he was not a great devotee when it came to the pastimes that required a large number of people.

That was why one could be surprised while spending time face to face with him, for from a man who seemed to be quite awkward for a great share of time he turned into a man who was civil and remarkably gentle. Of course, as long as one avoided any sort of illogical quarrels. For although he was capable of conversing, agreeing or not, he could stand them only as long as his collocutor alleged concrete arguments. The disputes, in turn, which were based only on the lack of any explanation induced quite an unbridled fury. That was why it was so important to first learn how to converse with the prince, and only then delve into any grave matters.

For he could truly be rather harsh towards his enemies. Just like he could bring paradise to the people he cared for. He had great possibilities and influence as a prince, and since his childhood, he had been learning how to use them, therefore he was not afraid to pull the right strings at certain moments.

Deirdre, however, was the first person who was so close to reaching the point at which the man desired both to create a heaven on earth for her and send her to hell. Perhaps that was why he began being bothered by his major flaw. She was, after all, a young girl who had never got to know the world nor the people; besides, what she had had a chance to learn was quite probably the bitter part of her life. She had been taken from her family home, and now, from the house and the environment in which she had been brought up, to a place completely unknown to her, to the land which seemed to be an utterly different world to her. There, she had been thrown among strangers, with so high expectations that she could never have met them. All she needed right now was acceptation and patience.

Meanwhile, Gerard was wanting this particular thing: patience. And it was not, heaven forbid, Deirdre's fault, about which he needed to remind himself whenever he saw her so that he would not accidentally hurt or scare her. For if he frightened her now, who knows what would happen. And he truly did not want to create but a formal union with her – if he wanted only a document certifying marriage, he might have chosen just any lady – he needed not have even stepped far behind the threshold to be surrounded by a throng of interested women. He, however, wanted a true marriage. A partner who could support him. Who would never cease to fascinate him. And who could bridle him.

But to achieve that, first, he needed to find a way to conquer her heart; for now, though, it remained completely indifferent to his assets. The same assets which, after all, had stolen so many ladies' hearts.