Spring of 1896...
Spring has sprung in the Kingdom, from the milkmaids to the blacksmiths, from the greengrocers to the Sericultures. Everyone was getting ready for this year's spring. The Saucer Magnolias, Red Horse Chestnuts, Early Bird Purple Crape Myrtles and Daffodils, and Grape Hyacinths were blooming around the Kingdom.
We are now set at a cottage just a few miles away from the Kingdom, this cottage is the residents of Charles Norwood, who passed away from influenza that hit last Winter, almost wiping away half of the Kingdom's population including Her Royal Majesty, The Queen. At the front of the cottage entrance, there's a scullery boy with beautiful red hair, but not just any scullery boy, it is Sage, who is now called CinderSage by his Stepfamily. He was wearing ragged clothes covered in Cinders and Ashes that his Stepmother forced him to wear. He put on his heavy wooden shoes and walked down to the Kingdom to get some groceries for dinner tonight.
Down on Market Street, he passed by The Local Bakery and looked at the Display window, he couldn't help but lick his lips at the sight of the pastry goods,
Sage wasn't allowed to have any sweets, and his Stepmother strictly told him to get groceries and not ridiculous sweets, the Baker displayed the iced rolls and Sage swallowed the hunger and carried on with his chores. After an hour of shopping, Sage returns to the cottage, he goes to the kitchen and puts the groceries away, goes to the living room, and grabs the broom next to the fireplace where he sleeps. He started sweeping when Douglas came in wearing a gray suit jacket, a button-up shirt with a pink bow tie, tan plaid pants, and a skimmer hat, he was carrying a croquet mallet.
"Hello, CinderSage," Douglas said,
"Good afternoon, Douglas," Sage said,
Douglas was about to put his hat on and was about to go on his way, but then he looked at his younger stepbrother in pity. Douglas is not like his other more youthful brother, Andy. Douglas is like Sage but taller and blonder, he doesn't like the fact his mother and Andy are treating Sage as a Scullery boy, and he wishes he could have enough courage to stand up for Sage.
"CinderSage..." Douglas said,
Sage looked at his older stepbrother as he stopped sweeping, Douglas placed his hat down on the living room table,
"Could you..."
"Polish your shoes, do your laundry, and press your best shirt."
Douglas put his croquet mallet down and went over to Sage,
"No...Cinder..." Douglas said, not liking that awful nickname, "Sage...I already pressed my shirt. You look tired, you should probably take a break.
Sage's eyes widened in fear as he shook his head, Douglas could tell that he was afraid of something and he didn't have to guess who it was,
"Doug, you know I can't take breaks, Stepmother wouldn't allow me to have any. She'll put me in the attic with the mice if she catches me," he said,
Douglas put his hand on to Sage's should and gave him a sympathetic look,
"Don't worry if you need a break, don't be afraid to ask." He said, "I'll be back. What do you need when I get back from playing croquet with January and her sisters and Matthew and his brothers?"
Sage took a moment to think about what he needed and then he got it, he was risking it but it would be worth it in the end.
"Do you know that bakery that is down on Market Street? Stepmother said I'm not allowed to have any sweet treats, but can you get me one of those Iced rolls for me? Please?" He asked,
Douglas then smiled as he and Sage hugged,
"Of course, it will be our little secret."
Douglas grabbed his croquet mallet and hat, put his hat on, and went out the door. Sage finished sweeping and set the broom next to the fireplace. He took a good look at the living room, he was finished with all of his chores and now he could take a break, he went over to the dining table pulled up a chair, and was about to sit down,
"CINDERSAGE!"
Sage got back up as his other older stepbrother, Andy, came in from upstairs. Andy is the second son of his mother, Lady Norwood, he looks like his mother, but as an 18-year-old boy, he's wearing a black coat, brown plaid pants, and gray shoes, he looks mean with his jet-black hair and envious green eyes.
"There you are!" He said,
"What's wrong, Andy?" Sage asked,
Andy puts his hands on his hips and he got up in Sage's face, invading his personal space,
"I thought I told you to polish my new black shoes, They were supposed to match my jet black hair today when I go to the kingdom to talk with the ladies, now I have to wear my nasty old grey shoes." Andy snapped
Sage realizes that he forgot to polish Andy's new shoes that he bought with his Stepfather's money. Andy never liked Sage from the start when they first met, he had made an excuse to Sage that his Mother, Sage's new Stepmother, suffered terribly from headaches and she's best to look after her sons, and that even means not including Sage. Andy had always been Jealous of how charming Sage was and when his mother puts him in Ragged clothes, Andy feels better about it and that he is more charmed than his younger stepbrother.
"I'm sorry Andy, I'll get on with them right away!" Sage said,
"NO!" Andy shouts, "It's too late now, I was supposed to be there anyway!"
Andy put his hands in his pocket and was about to leave when he looked at the floor and looked at Sage,
"You miss a spot." Andy said, "Ragboy."
Andy went out the door as Sage sighed and grabbed the broom again. He finished sweeping (again) and set the broom next to the fireplace. He took a good look at the living room again and now he can take a break, he went over to the dining table pulled up a chair, and finally sat down. It felt good to take a break, he wondered if his stepmother could just let him relax and this time he was not alone, a tiny mouse wearing a pink dress came out of a hole as a Blue Jay and a squirrel with a pink Bandana came into the cottage threw an opened window,
"CinderSagey!"
Sage looked down at the floor and saw his friend and then he saw the rest of his friends coming in to check on him.
"Teeny! Kate! Minnie!" Sage said with a smile,
All of the critters got on the table and Sage petted all of them, these critters were Sage's only friends,
"How are my critter friends all doing?" He said,
Kate The Blue Jay hopped on top of a fruit bowl as she shook her tail feathers,
"We're fine, It's that dumb cat, Lafayette that keeps messing our day up. I swear, does that Cat have anything else to do besides chasing my tail feathers around? I spend half a morning in the bird bath." Kate said with a sassy attitude
Minnie The Squirrel stood next to her bird friend as she and Teeny The Mouse nodded their heads in agreement, Sage couldn't help but laugh at the fact that is true about his Stepmother's cat,
"Speak for yourself," Minnie began, "That cat is nothin' but trouble."
"Yes!" Teeny said in a relatable tone,
"Preach it! Sister Minnie!" Kate said,
Sage gently petted Teeny as he chuckled and agreed with his critter friends,
"Tell me about it. I wash that devil cat once a week and he still smells." Sage said,
All four of them laugh, Sage feels better about taking his break with his critter friends, if only he could have these breaks more often. It wasn't until he heard his Stepmother calling him, that they all stopped laughing, Teeny and her friends said their goodbyes to Sage as they quickly ran away, Sage got out of his seat as his Stepmother came in wearing her deep purple daytime dress with her Black and White hair up in a Gibson Girl.
"You lazy boy! You have a mountain of chores to do and you are hauling around and talking to yourself!" Lady Norwood said,
"But I made the beds, cleaned the kitchen, fed your kitty, got the groceries, and swept the floors," Sage explained
"Now you can wash the windows, clean the dishes, do the laundry, and polish the silver!" Lady Norwood bickered as she added more things to the list,
"But I already polished the silver?" Sage said, knowing that he already polished them the other day,
"Well Do them again!" Lady Norwood said, "I want to see my face on every spoon! And after you prepare lunch, I'll think of other ways to keep you busy."
"If only I could have some help," Sage said to himself,
Lady Norwood couldn't help but overhear what her Stepson just said, She opened her mouth in disbelief, hearing her Stepson asking for help as if he was a poor helpless pidgin.
"WHAT!" Lady Norwood said in wrath, "Are you saying that your Stepbrothers should do housework? May I remind you that my sons are gentlemen and gentlemen should not do Scullery Chores like you! Your father left everything to me and it's my job to keep that money safe and away from you!"
Lady Norwood went back upstairs, leaving Sage alone. He almost lost his patience, but he took a deep breath and suck it up. He calmed himself down, grabbed a bucket and rag, and started to clean the window as his Stepmother told him to do. While cleaning, he started to hum a melody to keep himself busy and dreamed about meeting the girl of his dreams.