Her mother began to laugh, a sharp, cackling kind of laugh that reminded Drizella of stories about witches at midnight.
"How long will you listen to this nonsense, Your Highnesses?" She stooped and tugged Drizella to her feet. "She simply loves drama...causing it, being in the limelight, what have you."
Drizella wrenched away from her mother and ran to Anastasia, clinging desperately to her sister's arm.
"It's all a lie, your Highness! Tell him, Anastasia! Tell him, Cinderella!" She glanced back and forth between her two awestruck sisters, searching for a sign that either understood her. She spotted a small bruise on Anastasia's cheek and ran with her chance. "Tell him about how she slapped you!" She turned to Cinderella. "And how she made you work as a slave in your father's own home!"
The prince looked questioningly at Cinderella, who lowered her gaze, unable to look her husband in the face.
"Is this true?" he asked softly. Cinderella, glancing briefly at her stepmother, turned back to the prince and nodded, only once, and very quickly. He then turned to Anastasia, who turned her cheek to the light, frowning down at the ground.
"You see, Your Highness, it's true!" Drizella insisted. The prince directed his stunned gaze at the Lady Tremaine, who appeared to be shocked.
"You can't believe them, Your Highness," she said, taking slow steps backward toward the door. "They're lying. And besides, even if it were true, where would Drizella go?"
"We could take her in." Anastasia replied. The baker nodded his agreement. "We have room for one more."
Her mother leveled a devastating glare at her, but Anastasia didn't so much as blink.
"Please, Your Highness," Drizella begged.
The prince stood motionless for a moment, glancing between the retreating Lady Tremaine and her desperate daughters.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to grant your daughter's request, madam," he said finally. "She's old enough to take care of herself, and if her sister is willing to offer her a home, no one can stop her." Drizella released the breath she'd been holding, and then looked fearfully at her mother, who was frozen in her tracks.
The Lady Tremaine folded her arms slowly and drew her thin lips up into a smirk.
"I won't leave without her."
Drizella looked fearfully from the prince to her mother, wondering what would happen now. Cinderella caught her eye briefly and then spoke.
"Perhaps we could go into the kitchen and talk things over—"
"Do not presume to tell me what to do," Lady Tremaine snapped. Cinderella drew back at the sharp cut-down. "You may be the princess, but don't think for one second that I've forgotten about what you've cost me."
The prince suddenly stepped forward, anger evident in his movements.
"You will not address my wife so rudely," he commanded. "Stepmother or not, I think it's high time for you to leave."
Drizella watched her mother pale for the first time; shivers wriggled up and down her spine. She'd never seen her mother so distressed, not since Cinderella had slipped her foot into the second glass slipper.
"But I won't—"
"Now." At that word two guards entered the hallway outside the door and took hold of Lady Tremaine's arms, ignoring her protests. As she was dragged down the hallway the prince followed her out, leaving Drizella alone with her sisters.
She nearly collapsed onto the floor with relief. Anastasia pulled her into a tight embrace, and when she released her Cinderella touched her shoulder gently.
"Although Anastasia saved you with that offer, I wouldn't stay here if I were you. She'll come back for you, and you'll never get any peace." She smiled sadly at Drizella. "I suppose that's what comes with being the last to leave."
Her words made sense, but Drizella had no idea what she was supposed to do.
"So...where should I go?" she asked dubiously. Cinderella pulled the two sisters close to her, so only they could hear her.
"I can get you safely to Paris." Drizella's eyes widened, and she pulled away.
"Paris?" Cinderella shushed her gently, beckoning her back.
"Yes. It's the only place she won't come looking for you. I also have a good friend there who can take care of you until Lady Tremaine's had a chance to cool off. I've been sworn to secrecy, so I can't tell you her name, but she's a big hit at the Festival of Fools." Cinderella grinned, and then her expression became thoughtful. "I think it's actually going on at this time of year, too."
The sisters both glanced at each other curiously, and then fixed their inquisitive gazes back on Cinderella. The princess tugged a little silk pouch out of her overcoat; it was a bright violet, and had gold-colored drawstrings that shone in the lantern light. Pulling on the sides, she plucked out a small, folded up piece of parchment and carefully unfolded it, maneuvering so she could see the words printed on it.
"What does it say? What is it?" The sisters asked, jostling around to get a better view. Cinderella chuckled and read it aloud.
" 'When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand.'"
"Oh." Drizella breathed. "What does it mean?"
Cinderella handed her the parchment and shrugged.
"I don't really know. But she gave it to me before I left, as a token of our friendship. I'm sure if you find her and show this to her, she'll remember me and know that I sent you." Drizella examined the oval-shaped figure, criss-crossed with symmetrical lines, sketched on the parchment. It puzzled her, and so she refolded the paper and placed it back in Cinderella's hand.
"That's a strange thing to give someone as a parting gift." she remarked. Cinderella chuckled again, replacing the parchment, and then gently pressed the silk pouch into Drizella's hand, the earlier seriousness returning to her demeanor.
"We really do need to go now." Almost as soon as the words had left her lips the prince re-entered the room, brows furrowed and eyes flashing.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded of Cinderella. She frowned, walking with Drizella toward the door.
"Later," she said, and then, glancing back at Anastasia, waved with a small smile. "Good to see you again, Anastasia."
The red-head smiled brightly.
"And you, too," Anastasia said. "Goodbye, Drizella."
Drizella turned back to glance at her sister; she was almost sorry she had to leave. Sure, Anastasia's humble abode wasn't as grand as she was used to, but she wouldn't have minded it for one second if it meant getting away from her mother and into the presence of people who cared about her.
"'Bye, Anastasia," she replied with a half-hearted wave. Cinderella then tugged her out the door and through the kitchen, where they stopped long enough to retrieve Drizella's dirty, damp cloak from the floor. Then it was out to the carriage, where she reluctantly climbed in at Cinderella's urging. The prince was of no interest to Drizella now; even after years of trying to catch his eye, all she wanted now was to watch her sister out the window as she waved goodbye. The baker joined Anastasia, and together they waved until they faded into the distance.
Drizella slumped back in her seat, staring at the floor with a despondent frown.
Well, I've escaped, she thought, but I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. She looked up, glancing from the brooding prince to the silent princess. Cinderella caught her eye and smiled encouragingly. She tried to smile back, but it felt more like a grimace.
She sighed and resorted to staring out the window, absentmindedly fingering the ties on Cinderella's silk pouch in her skirt pocket.
I suppose only time will tell.
***
A/N: This will be the last of the daily updates, as I'll be switching over to twice-a-week posts from here on out. Please vote and favorite if you want to keep up with Drizella and Nakoma as they travel to Paris! :D