Chapter 25
Liz's POV
The next couple of weeks were a big blur to me. All my time was spent on working on re-writing the play we had chosen, holding auditions for the roles, getting permission to hold the event at a local theater, building props and scenery for the stage, buying the characters wardrobe and rehearsing non-stop. I was physically and emotionally drained, but I would not give myself time to breathe until it was all done and over; which was tonight –thankfully.
"Final rehearsal is over, people. It is officially too late for anyone to back out" I announced. Some of them chuckled at my statement, but then they spread out. Today had been insane, and I couldn't wait for the play in a few hours. Luckily I did have time to go home and take a shower before I come back to make sure everything is ready.
"It's going to be great!" Blake came towards me and enveloped me in a hug. I smiled.
"You think so?" I asked doubtfully.
"I know so. You will be the best Cinderella in history" He said with a wink. I laughed and hit his arm playfully.
"I really hope so..." I said with a sigh.
"Stop worrying that pretty head of yours, you will be great. Plus, Nick will be there being your Prince Charming and all that, so you won't be alone" Blake reassured.
"I still think you should've played a character" I said grudgingly.
"Me? Naw, I would make a fool of myself. I like being the narrator; I get to use my sexy radio talk host voice" I laughed at Blake's deep husky voice that he used while saying that.
"You're such an idiot" I said while shaking my head and smiling.
"But I'm your" I cut him off.
"Yes, you are my idiot" I finished for him.
Blake grinned and came in for another hug.
* * * * * * * * *
The lights were off. The large red curtain closed; hiding my presence from the audience. I was nervous. No, that's an understatement, but I couldn't find a more appropriate word to describe how I'm feeling. Oh, well, I could say I felt like pooping my pants, that works right?
I started taking deep breaths while I waited for Blake to start narrating the story.
But that never happened. Instead Nick's voice boomed from the speakers and echoed through the theaters walls.
"Once upon a time there lived a beautiful young girl named Cinderella. She never had the pleasure of meeting her mother, because this one died while giving birth to her. When Cinderella was still young in age, her father had accidentally met an interestingly delightful woman, at least that's what she appeared to be. Fooled by the wretched woman, Cinderella's father married the widow and with their marriage besides a stepmother, Cinderella also gained a pair of step sisters. Her stepmother didn't like her one bit; she never did. But while Cinderella's father lived, she pretended to be the loving mother that Cinderella needed. Unfortunately, Cinderella's courageous father passed away one stormy night, and Cinderella's life changed forever. Her step mother showed her true self, and it wasn't pretty at all. Any kind thoughts and loving touches were for her own ugly and cruel daughters. Nothing was too good for them - dresses, shoes, delicious food, soft beds, and every home comfort she would provide for them. But for the poor unhappy recently orphaned girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses; only her step sisters’ hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes; nothing but scraps. No rest and no comfort. She had to work hard all day, settling for being her new family’s servant because she had nothing in life anymore. Only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That’s why everybody called her Cinderella” Nick ranted.
I didn’t have a lot of time to wonder about Nick narrating the beginning of the story. Where was Blake? I hope nothing happened to him…
Someone pulled the curtains open and the spotlights brightened the scene on stage.
I started scrubbing the floor on my poor and dirty excuse for a dress.
One of the girls, the one who played the first step sister came out.
“Did you clean the kitchen?” she asked.
“Yes, I did” I responded, still scrubbing the floor.
The second step sister appeared quickly after, “ Did you polish my shoes?” she questioned.
“Yes, I did” I replied, pushing hair off my face.
“Did you iron my clothes?” one asked.
“Yes, I did” I said again.
“And...did you make breakfast?” the other asked.
“Yes, breakfast is ready” I said tiredly, my voice flat and emotionless.
Lights faded into darkness.
“The evil stepsisters made Cinderella do all the hard work. Cinderella did everything she was told not knowing why they were so cruel towards her, she did nothing to harm them, it made no sense to her. In her innocent mind, Cinderella didn’t understand her step sisters’ jealousy. They envied Cinderella’s beauty. It was quite true. Cinderella, even dressed in old rags, was a lovely girl. While her stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, were still clumsy, mean and ugly and always would be” Nick’s voice reverberated through the room but he was nowhere to be seen.
Lights shone down on me once again.
“Stepsisters! A letter from the royal palace has arrived for you” I called out after he was done narrating.
The oldest stepsister fought her sister to fit through the door frame, “Give it to me! I want to open it” she demanded as soon as she pushed past her sister.
The youngest stepsister pushed her aside, “No! I want to open it” she argued.
Both stepsisters fought to read the letter, only to realize it was an invitation card.
“Look! We are invited to the Prince’s ball at the royal palace” they both shrieked simultaneously.
I ran back to the cellars, forcing real tears to sparkle in my eyes before letting them fall. It wasn’t an easy task. I had to think of my mom and how much I missed her; how much I wish she was here with me.
“I wish I could go, too” I cried, scratching behind my new cat’s ear. My feline friend meowed and rubbed his small head against my hand.
The lights went off.
“One day, beautiful new dresses arrived at the house. The night of the ball had arrived. The stepsisters were getting ready and kept demanding help from Cinderella. Cinderella didn't even dare ask if she could go too. She knew very well what her step mother’s answer would be; ‘You? You're staying at home to wash the dishes, scrub the floors and turn down the beds for your stepsisters. They will have a lot of fun and will come home tired and very sleepy’.
The lights brightened the stage once again.
The oldest step sister laughed mockingly, “ Ha, ha! We are going to have a great time at the ball”.
The youngest step sister joined her sister’s teasing, “Yeah, have a great night working, Cinderella”.
Lights faded once again.
“After the evil stepsisters had left, suddenly, something amazing happened. As Cinderella was sitting all alone, there was a burst of light and a fairy appeared” Nick’s voice said.
Lights shone in different sparkly colors.
“Oh my! Who are you?” I asked at the girl who was chosen to be the fairy.
“I’m your fairy godmother, beautiful Cinderella. I am here to help you go to the ball tonight” she said in a very harmonious sweet voice. We totally did right at choosing her, she was perfect for the role.
“With this ugly old rags? The guards won't permit my entry into the palace” I said sadly.
“The fairy godmother smiled at Cinderella. Then with a flick of her magic wand Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. ” Nick said, at the same time as the ‘fairy godmother waved her wand at me’. Lights went out and quickly and in the darkness, people’s hands were helping me out from the old rags and into a pretty dress I had a friend make specifically for this scene.
The lights were on once again.
“Wow! It’s so beautiful” I said in awe amazement, while looking down at the gorgeous garment I was now wearing.
“On her feet were sparkling glass slippers” Nick spoke.
“Oh, I love them!” I said, showing my sparkling silver heels.
“Now for your transportation. A real lady would never go to a ball on foot! Quick! Get me a pumpkin!”the fairy urged. I ran off the scene. While I get the pumpkin, the fairy godmother turns to face my cat.
“You, bring me seven mice, and, remember they must be alive!” she warns steadily and my cat runs off.
The lights faded.
“Cinderella soon returned with the pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he had caught in the cellar. With a flick of the magic wand the pumpkin turned into a sparkling carriage and the mice became six white horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes” Nick recited.
Lights brightened the scene once again. The changes had been made during the narration. The horses weren’t real animals but men dressed as such. The carriage was made of cardboard but looked amazing anyways, whoever painted it did a great job.
“What a lovely carriage and handsome horses” I express, placing a hand against my heart.
“You are ready now, my dear. Have fun tonight, but be back by midnight, or else!” the fairy godmother forewarned
“Okay, fairy godmother! Thank you” I replied excitedly. I then proceeded to act like I was getting in the carriage before this one “took off”.
The curtains slid from both sides and obscured the stage from the audience. Time for the ball.
I quickly walked away so the people setting the ball scene could work in peace. I went backstage to look for Nick, I needed to know what happened. I stopped one of the make-up artists.
“Hey, do you know where Nick is?” I asked her. She looked like she was in a hurry but she stopped to answer me.
“He’s at the other side of the stage” she said.
“Why? He was supposed to come out of this side” I said exasperated.
“Change of plans” she said in response.
“What change of plans?” I was beyond confused now.
“Your father is here, he made a few changes to the play” she told me before rushing off to do whatever it was that she needed to do.
My dad? Wasn’t he in America still? What on earth is going on? I was done being in the dark, I was set on finding him and clearing everything out, but someone stopped me.
“It’s almost curtain time” the girl told me.
“Yeah, I know. I just need to speak to-” but she didn’t let me finish.
“Sorry, it will have to wait, you’re on in thirty seconds” she said, pushing me towards the stage to take my place. I had no choice but to do as I was told, I wouldn’t risk ruining the whole play. But now what? If Nick is narrating, how is he going to do that and be the Prince as well? What is going on in my father’s mind right now? Again I had no time to speculate before the extras filled the stage wearing pretty dresses in different tones of colors. The curtains slid part, letting the crowd see us onstage.
“At the ball, everyone wondered who the beautiful princess was” Nick spoke.
“Who is that beautiful princess?” a woman asked in a hushed voice.
“I’ve never seen such a beautiful woman in my life!” a man wearing a grey suit said. Everyone’s eyes were on me, while I walked towards the center of the stage-- which happened to be the center of the ballroom as well.
“Oh no! The Prince is going to dance with her” the youngest step sister said out loud.
“This is not fair! He was meant to dance with me” the oldest step sister whined.
But I wasn’t listening to them anymore, I was searching discreetly with my eyes for my so called Prince. That’s when a group of couples spread apart, making way for the prince. That’s when I saw him. His hair was in a style that was so him, his suit was classic black, with a white shirt, a white bow and he was wearing converses’. I couldn’t keep myself from smiling while he walked up to me.
Blake’s POV
I had missed the dress rehearsal, so I hadn’t seen her in her Cinderella dress. I could not keep my eyes off her. I felt like the world around me ceased to exist, she was all I could see, all I could admire. She looked breathtaking. The dress went down to her knees, not the typical Cinderella dress, but still sparkly and beautiful in design. The color was between silver and copper and the distinction could not be made. It was Liz’s idea, because I had said we should do our own version of the story, so she had written down some changes; the dress and the ending of the play were the most obvious differences from the original Cinderella. Liz’s hair was down in soft waves and she wasn’t wearing much makeup because as she told everyone, she didn't want to give up the impression to young girls that make-up is what makes them beautiful. It didn’t matter, she was stunning and radiant without it. Her soft brown eyes bore into mine before I spoke.
“Would you like to dance with me?” I asked her, extending my hand out to her. She bowed curtly and nodded.
“Oh, yes, your highness” she replied. My smile turned wider and so did hers, she knew I would not let her live this one now. Soft music started playing in the background while Liz and I started swaying to the rhythm of the music.
“The Prince danced every dance with her. Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball, until suddenly she heard the first stroke of midnight. She remembered what the fairy had said and stepped out of the Prince’s arms” I heard Nick say. Liz let me go, and I couldn’t help but feel the chill of her absence in my arms.
“I must go! Thank you for the dance” she said hurriedly before taking off.
“Please stay!” I shout after her, “What is your name?” I ask quickly while seeing her disappear from my eye sight.
“Cinderella did not answer and ran back to the carriage. In her hurry, she lost one of her glass slippers on the way. The Prince found her glass slipper and stared at it in amazement, this shoe was as beautiful and unique as the girl who wore it. He had decided in that moment that he wouldn’t stand by and let this girl run away. He needed to know her name, so then he could tell her how he had fallen in love with her eyes and her smile and every inch of her that he had seen. So he ran. He ran out of his own ball, past his own guards and out of his own castle. He ran to the streets in search of the beautiful girl with the glass slipper. Time passed by and exhaustion was winning over the Prince, the Sun would surely rise at any moment. He stopped his search on a park; he needed to regain his breath. It was as his breathing went back to normal that he spotted her, leaning over the wooden rail of a small bridge that led to the other side of the park. He couldn’t believe it, he had found his princess. He slowly walked over to her, she hadn’t noticed his presence yet” Nick recited.
“I found you” I said softly. Liz quickly turned around, startled.
“Your highness, what are you doing here?” she asked me. I stepped closer, kneeling down in front of her feet. I looked up at her.
“I came to give this back to you” I replied. I then took her small bare foot and slid her ‘glass slipper’ on.
I stood up to meet her eyes, “You’re so breathtaking” I said.
Liz shook her head sadly.
“I’m no princess. I’m not good enough for you, my prince” she said.
“Nonsense. You are everything I could ever want and more. I’d be lucky if you would consider me enough for you” I said, losing myself in the moment. I didn’t even care that I had just changed the script.
“You’re a dream come true, the prince I always ask for before I go to sleep” Liz said. I stepped closer.
“Then let me be your prince, imperfect in every way possible, but capable of loving you like no one else can” I improvised once again. I could see color rising to Liz’s cheek at my script change but she kept going like a pro.
“I don’t want a perfect prince anyways. Perfect is boring” she said with a smile. I bit my lip at her words before taking a step closer. This was it. This is the most important part of the whole play. If I screw this up Liz would probably hate me forever. The thought only made me more nervous, but not enough to keep the anticipation of kissing her at bay. My hands found her waist and rested there while I leaned down. I closed my eyes only after I saw Liz close hers. Then our lips met. I pressed my mouth softly to hers and her lips molded perfectly with mine. I felt her arm travel up my arm until it touched my face. I kissed her slowly, and tenderly, just like I had always dreamt to do it. I was lost in the moment and honestly if this was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up. It almost felt like time stood still while we shared the kiss, sadly, time does keep going and too soon for my liking, the kiss ended. My green eyes held hers in a silent confession of love. Her brown eyes searched something in my face but I’m not entirely sure what. I wanted to tell her everything. Tell her I’ve loved her for a long time. Tell her she’s the only one for me. Tell her she’s the most beautiful and amazing girl I have ever met. But I couldn’t; not now. I had one more line left.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
She smiles sweetly at me and answers, “It’s Cinderella”.
The lights fade a bit while Nick talks.
“The Prince had found his princess and Cinderella had found his prince. They got married a few years later and had a couple of kids. Their marriage had highs and lows, but they loved each other unconditionally and lived happily ever after”. Then the curtains are closed and loud, thunderous applause echoes through the theater.
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A/N: Holy crap I spent the whole night writing this (it is now 5:32AM). I hope you liked it! Lots of drama and action coming on next so stay with me :) Just a few more chapters left till the end.... It's a bitersweet kind of feeling. Anyways, feedback is appreciated. Opinions are appreciated. And speculations as to what happened, and why the changes happened are appreciated :D Let me know what you're thinking :)
P.S The gif on the side is the kiss at the end. That is in actuality Nick Roux aka the guy I chosed as Blake. The fact that I found those gifs and was able to put them together and then make it into a longer single gif, talks about fate being on my side because it fit perfectly with the chapter :)