CHAPTER NINE:
BROKEN GLASS SLIPPERS
ELLIOT AND Y/N walked their way home, glass shoes still laying in their hands. Elliot with both shoes, Y/n with one. Y/n glanced at the ground upon hearing little squeaks, seeing their mice friends trying to keep up with them.
She chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sorry." She lowered her hands, letting the mice climb into her glass slipper. "You'll find it's very comfortable."
As they continued walking, rain started to pour down, making them gasp before laughing together. Elliot grabbed Y/n's free hand, both of them then dancing together in the rain, like they did at the ball, dancing their way down the road.
Both of them were laughing, bright smiles laying on their faces. It was the best night of their lives. Especially because they spent it with each other.
All of a sudden, a horse neighing behind them caught their attention before familiar voices were heard. It was Elliot's stepsisters and stepmother. The boy quickly grabbed Y/n's hand, running the rest of the way home.
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Y/n and Elliot ran to the fireplace, Elliot hiding both their glass shoes in the ash just as they heard his stepsisters voices.
"Cinderellon! Cinder-Y/n!"
"Cinder-Y/n! Cinderellon! We'll have to wake them up."
"Cinderellon! Cinder-Y/n!" Drizella exclaimed. "Wake up, lazy bones! Tea and a plate of biscuits."
"Welcome back!" Elliot spoke with a smile, holding Y/n's hand.
"You two look cheerful!" Anastasia observed.
"And wet!" Drizella added.
"We took a walk in the rain to cheer ourselves up." Elliot lied.
"Typical." The two sat down.
"Tea." Y/n grabbed Elliot's hand, both going to make some tea and biscuits.
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Lady Tremaine walked to where her daughters sat, stepson, and maid all sat at the table, Anastasia and Drizella talking about how one of them danced with the prince, who was chasing after Y/n.
"We did not communicate through mere words. Our souls met." Drizella explained.
"Precisely. My soul and the prince's soul." Anastasia said before looking at her sister. "Your soul was over by the banquet tables."
"You didn't see him dance with me." Drizella fired back.
"Dance with you? He didn't even speak to you." Lady Tremaine sneered, sitting down.
"It was not our fault, Mother." Anastasia defended her and her sister. "It was that girl and boy. They had everyone's attention."
"The mystery prince and princess." Drizella added.
"Mystery prince?" Elliot asked with a smile, knowing who they were talking about.
"And princess?" Y/n asked next. "My, what a charming notion." The two stood up, hand in hand as their backs faced the three.
"They were no prince and princess." Elliot's stepmother started. "They were preening interloper who both made spectacles of themselves." Both Elliot and Y/n made a sound, looking back at the woman. "Two vulgar, young hussies, marched into the ball, unaccompanied, if you will, and danced with each other, right in the middle of the ballroom."
As she talked, Y/n and Elliot closed their eyes, their back facing them as they swayed side by side, Elliot standing behind the girl. Lady Tremaine's eyes narrowed on both of them in suspicion.
"And that boy actually danced with the ugly girl. I would've been much better." Anastasia complained.
"Yes?" Y/n breathed out, Elliot's hands slowly going to her hips, the two still swaying slightly.
"Yes. It was pity." Drizella spoke next, not noticing the two's actions and her mothers eyes narrowed on the two.
"And then they walked out of the ballroom, and the prince followed after them. He told them off. But they refused to leave and the palace guards chased them from the party!" Anastasia added with a chuckle at the end. "I wish I had a dance with that boy. He looked handsome."
"Well, no matter, girls." Lady Tremaine spoke up, her eyes still on Elliot and Y/n. "Didn't you see how close those two were? Clearly, there was something there with them."
Y/n and Elliot looked at each other, smiles on their faces as they stared into each others eyes.
🐭
Y/n and Elliot sat in their shared attic, smiles still plastered on their faces. Both of them brought out their own shoe boxes, placing their glass shoes in them. Y/n placed her one inside hers, while Elliot opened his, revealing the mice inside.
"Hello again." He smiled before putting both his glass shoes inside the box delicately. "Thank you for your help. It really was like a dream." Elliot looked over at Y/n's figure, his gaze lingering on her. "Better than a dream."
With smiles, Y/n and Elliot both grabbed their notebooks, sitting down on their small beds as they started writing down about what happened at the ball, glancing at each other every so often.
"Elliot and Y/n couldn't wait to write down all that had happened, so that they might remember every single bit of it just as if they were telling it Elliot's mother and father and Emile about the palace ball and their time with each other. Above all, each other."
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Kit walked through the palace early in the morning, walking into his fathers room, where the king laid in his bed, looking weaker than he did.
"You've come." His raspy voice broke the silence, staring up at his son. "Good."
"Father. Don't go." Kit sat down on the edge of his bed, grabbing his fathers hand.
"I must. You needn't be alone. Take a bride. The Princess Chelina. What if I command you to do so?"
Kit shook his head a little, tears pooling in his eyes. "I love and respect you, but I will not. I believe that we need not look outside of our borders for strength or guidance. What we need is right before us. And we need only have courage and be kind to see it."
"Just so." The king whispered. "You've become your own man. Good. And perhaps, in the little time left to me, I can become the father you deserve. You must not marry for advantage. You must marry for love. Find a girl. She'll be out there somewhere. And find that girl. Find her. The one they're all talking about. Along with that boy. The forgetful one who loses her shoes."
"...loses her shoes."
Both of them said in unison before chuckling.
"Find your sister, son." The king continued after the chuckling stopped. "Be cheerful, boy."
"Thank you, Father."
"Thank you, Kit. I love you, son."
"I love you, Father."
"And... tell Y/n, that I love her so much. And that I missed her." Kit nodded to his fathers words, a small smile on his face before the two hugged, Kit crying into his father's chest.
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"Once the time for mourning had passed, a proclamation was sent out."
"Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!" The palace's announcer started as he stood in the village.
Feet away from him, stood Y/n, Elliot, Anastasia, and Drizella, all staring at the man.
He cleared his throat before speaking out. "Know that our new king hereby declares the lost princess, as the mysterious princess as wore the glass slippers to the ball. And request that she presents herself at the palace. Along with the mysterious prince."
Elliot and Y/n shared a wide eyed look, realization on their face. They knew exactly who he was talking about.
The two rode home on the same horse, Y/n's arms wrapped around Elliot's waists, her head on his back as he rode the horse. A big smile was plastered on her face.
The prince...
Kit...
Was her brother.
🐭
Y/n quickly ran into the attic, Elliot following behind her with a smile. He was happy seeing her this happy. Y/n lifted the floor board, revealing her shoebox inside...
But there was no glass slipper in it.
She brought it out, confusion laced on both of their features.
"Are you looking for this?" A voice called out. Elliot and Y/n looked over, seeing Lady Tremaine sitting there, Y/n's one glass slipper in one of her hand, and one of Elliot's glass shoe in her other. "There must be quite a story to go with these. Won't you two tell me? No? Alright then. I shall tell you two a story."
As she talked, Elliot pulled Y/n up to her feet, glaring at his stepmother.
"Once upon a time," she started. "there was a beautiful young girl who married for love. And she had two loving daughters. And a young maid to help around the house. All was well. But, one day, her husband, the light of her life, died. The next time, she married for the sake of her daughters. But that man, too, was taken from her. And she was doomed to look every day upon his beloved child. She had hoped to marry off one of her beautiful, stupid daughters to the prince. But all his head was turned by the boy and girl with glass shoes. And the girl, happened to be the lost princess. And so, I lived unhappily ever after. My story would appear to be ended. Now, tell me both of yours. Did you two steal them?"
"No." Elliot answered, his voice firm. "They were given to us."
"Given to you? Given to you. Nothing is ever given." Elliot's stepmother chuckled in disbelief. "For everything, we must pay and pay."
"That's not true." Y/n spoke, her voice wavering. "Kindness is free." She looked into Elliot's eyes. "Love is free."
"Love is not free. Now," the woman stood up. "here is how you two will pay me, if you are to have what you desire." She looked to Y/n. "No one will believe you, a dirty servant girl without a family, if you lay to claim the lost princess' place."
"I do have a family!" Y/n exclaimed.
Lady Tremaine gave her a stern look before continuing. "But with a respectable gentlewoman to put you forward, you will not be ignored. When you are claimed as the lost princess, you will make me the head of the royal household. Anastasia and Drizella we will pair off with wealthy men." She then pointed to Elliot. "And I shall manage this boy." She sneered. "How would you rule a kingdom? Best to leave it to me. That way we all get what we want." She walked past the two, the glass shoes still in her hands.
"No." Y/n's firm voice stopped the woman.
"No?" Both looked at the girl curiously, Lady Tremaine more having a scowl on her face.
"I was not able to protect Emile from you, but I will protect Elliot, my brother and the kingdom, no matter what becomes of me." Elliot smiled at the girl as she spoke.
"Well, that is a mistake." Suddenly, Lady Tremaine hit both their glass shoes against the wall, breaking both of them.
"No!" Y/n exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes before hugging Elliot, who was glaring at his stepmother.
"Why?" He asked. "Why are you so cruel? I don't understand it. We've tried to be kind to you."
"You two? Kind to me?"
"Yes." He said through gritted teeth, his arms tightening around Y/n. "And though no one deserves to be treated as you have treated us. Why do you do it? Why?"
"Why?" The woman repeats. "Because you two are young, and innocent, and good. And I..." Lady Tremaine stops herself, before quickly walking to the door, locking it on the other side.
"No!" Both exclaim from the inside, banging on the now locked door. Y/n starts sobbing, falling into Elliot's arms, where he hold onto her tightly.