Nicholas and his small posse of guards and advisors are gone for most of the week to test the slipper on more bachelorettes. They seem to have forgotten that Cinderella and I never got a chance, that or the prince is purposely delaying his marriage despite knowing that it has to be one of us who threw it out of the carriage.
Cinderella sits by the window, looking dazzling as she sighs. "I don't understand, why can't we tell the prince that the slipper is mine?" She tilts her head with confusion.
"Because, he doesn't want to get married at the moment," I start. "If they never find who the slipper fits then he doesn't have to get married." I lean against the dresser. "But then again, I suppose we could tell him and he can make the decision of whether or not he wants people to know."
Cinderella nods and I make my way to the door but suddenly stop. "Do you want to get married?"
Cinderella flinches. "I suppose it's every girl's dream. Is it not?"
"Pft no," I scoff. "Who says I need to settle down? I'm perfectly fine on my own," I shrug.
"Is that so?" A familiar voice retorts from the other side of the door. "Well then I suppose you'll just have to die alone."
I open the door allowing Nicholas to waltz right into the room. "Better alone than stuck in an arranged marriage with an obnoxious monster." I cross my arms.
"Arranged marriages can work!" The prince shoots back, almost panicked. "Not all of us have a choice you know."
I regret what I just said. "You're right... speaking of choice," I glance over to Cinderella who nods. "The mysterious slipper maiden is actually Cinderella."
Nicholas nods. "I know. I saw the shoe falling out of your carriage so I suspected it was one of you."
"Are you going to marry her?" I mumble hesitantly. Marriage is a tricky subject when it comes to the prince.
"I don't... I don't know if I'm ready." He fumbles with the tassels on his coat. He looks at Cinderella. "Can we just keep it between us?"
She smiles and nods in agreement. "It's okay."
Nicholas sighs as if a huge weight has just been lifted off his shoulders. "Well in that case, my father is holding a banquet tonight. He says he has joyous news. You two are welcome to attend." Nicholas flashes a mischievous smile. "There may even be pudding ."
My face lights up at the prospect of more pudding. "We'll definitely go!" I say jumping up and down. I don't see Nicholas for the rest of the day.
The banquet hall is filled with lively nobles, either laughing or gossiping about what Nicholas' dad could possibly have to say. The king sits on his throne, whispering to his advisor and motioning for everyone to quiet down.
"As I have previously stated," The king smiles widely. "I have an important announcement to make regarding the future of our kingdom." He motions for Nicholas to stand next to him. Nicholas's face is stiff and void of emotion. "As you know, we have been searching for the mystery princess that lost her shoe at our recent ball." The king's demeanor is cheerful and friendly. "It was a wild chase, I can assure you but we finally caught her."
I cringe at the king's word choice. It's uncomfortable to refer to the mystery girl as being "caught". I'm even more confused about why he says she's been found though. I thought that Nicholas agreed not to reveal that it was Cinderella.
"This mystery girl was none other than Princess Miola, of the Litus Kingdom," The king announces. "Our beloved Prince Nicholas will soon be wed to the lovely Princess Miola."
My heart is beating incredibly fast as I try to process the events. I try to lock eye contact with Nicholas but he can only look away. The king goes on to talk about how glorious the union of these two kingdoms will be but I barely listen. I glance over at Cinderella who looks as if she's about to cry. Luckily, we are standing with the staff so nobody notices as I guide her out of the banquet hall. Nobody except Nicholas.
Cinderella breaks into tears the moment we reach our room. "I know I shouldn't be crying b-but, it hurts!" She whimpers. "It hurts knowing that he chose someone else over me. I didn't want to admit it but I was disappointed that he didn't like me," she sniffles. "I know I don't deserve him but I guess I got my hopes up when he was kind to me at the ball."
I pat her head in comfort. "You've got it all wrong. He's the one who doesn't deserve you!" I grit my teeth. He better have some explaining to do.
As if on cue a knock sounds from the door. I open and close the door behind me to prevent him spot the weeping Cinderella behind me.
"Explain," I manage to spit out.
"I'm sorry but it's not my choice!" He runs his fingers through his hair. "My father told me right after our discussion that he didn't want to wait any longer for me to get married." Nicholas looks down at the ground. "I think he realized that I was using the shoe as an excuse to put it off."
I sigh, trying to calm myself down. It's not his fault that this is happening. He's a victim more than either of us. "I'm sorry for being a little annoyed," I apologize. "I just..." I don't want to reveal the fact that Cinderella was bummed out or the fact that him liking someone scared me a little. "You're the biggest victim here. You don't have to explain anything, in fact, I should be the one comforting you." I plaster on a smile. "What do you say we go and grab some pudding from the kitchen?"
Nicholas nods and I peek my head into the room. "Do you want me to bring you something from the kitchen?"
Cinderella nods, her tears have stopped and she seems to have calmed down. "A piece of cake would be nice," Her voice can barely be heard.
*Also, I know you guys miss Chase and he'll be back in a few chapters. Thank you all so much for reading!*