Reader: Miss Martian's stepsister
AU: Cinderella
Summary: (Y/N)'s sister is Miss Martian, who goes by the name 'Cinderella' in the family except for (Y/N). When they're invited to the royal ball, Miss Martian catches the prince's eye. But does she return those feelings?
Key: (E/S/N) = Evil Stepsister's name
(F/A) = Favorite animal
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Why is this titled a not-so Cinderella story? Well, it's not really about a girl named Cinderella, finding true love, and dumping her old evil family. That's not it. This. Is in a stepsister's point of view. (Y/N) (L/N)'s point of view, to be exact.
Yes, strange, that's true, but (Y/N) is a different kind of evil stepsister. Actually, she's not evil whatsoever! You'll see when you read this chapter.
*_*
"M'gann? You ok back there?", you asked your stepsister worriedly.
M'gann was your stepsister, but your sister and mother called her Cinderella, which you thought was rude and mean. You were always nice to M'gann because you always felt mad at the way your family treated her, so you decided to help her as much as you could.
At this moment, M'gann way trying to carry three trays of tea; including yours.
"I-I'm alright!!", M'gann called out, but you could hear the slight strain in her voice.
You shook your head and took one of the trays of her head as she tried to balance everything.
"You think I'll believe that? C'mon, let's go.", you smiled at her.
She shot you a small smile of gratitude, "What would I do without you, (Y/N)? You're the best."
Your heart fluttered with a smidge of pride and happiness as you beamed at her happily.
"And what would I do without you? (E/S/N) is so hard to handle. And so is Mother...", you sighed, "I'm so sorry for the way they treat you."
M'gann just smiled at your concern, "Aw, it's ok (Y/N). Honestly, I'm still so surprised of how different you are from your family."
You giggled, "I know! Mother says I take on my father's side..."
Your giggles faded as you thought of your father. Your father was one of the most kindest, most caring person you had ever met. You always wondered why your father fell in love with a woman like your mother, but maybe she was different back then. Before his death.
"I'm so sorry, (Y/N).", M'gann said softly.
You snapped out of your thoughts and grinned at her, "It's nothing, M'gann. Now, let's get this tea to Mother before she blows her top off."
M'gann laughed as you both ambled up the stairs, trying not to spill a single drop of tea onto the ground.
"(Y/N) (L/N).", a cold icy voice settled in the atmosphere, like it was changing the temperature drastically.
You swallowed your saliva thickly as you slowly turned around, the tray of tea trembling in your hands.
"Mother...", you said quietly, your eyes not daring to meet her cold stare.
"What. Did I tell you about helping her.", she said coldly, gazing sternly at you both.
"I-I'm sorry, Mother.", you mumbled, gripping the trays tightly until your knuckles turned white.
"You'd better be.", she snapped, making you wince.
She eyed M'gann closely before 'accidentally' bumping into her, making the trays fall out of her hands and fall to the floor, the china shattering into thousands of pieces while the tea spread all over the floor. Your mother smirked before sauntering off with your sister snickering right behind her.
You let out a small gasp, setting the other tray gently on the floor. You dashed over to M'gann's side, who seemed to be holding in her obvious pain and slight anger.
"M'gann...", you whispered, snaking your hand onto her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, (Y/N). Because of me, you got in trouble. I should have-have...", M'gann silently cried, tackling you in a tight hug.
You stroked her hair softly, "M'gann. It's not your fault. Plus, Mother treats you so horribly. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. Let's go get a broom and mop and clean this all up, ok?"
M'gann nodded, wiping away another tear with her hand. You both slowly stood up.
"I'll go get the broom, you get the mop, alright M'gann?", you ordered softly.
She shot you a small nod and smile before scurrying off to get the mop. You let out a tiny sigh before walking off to go find a broom. Soon, you found yourself holding a broom and dustpan in your hands, wandering over to the place where you had spilled the tea and broke the china.
You started to sweep up the pieces of china, being careful not to scrape yourself. M'gann arrived right after, gripping a mop and a bucket of water in her hands.
"Be careful not to get hurt, M'gann.", you warned her, still sweeping up the pieces.
"It's ok, (Y/N)! No need to worry.", she grinned before starting to mop up the tea.
You always found it amazing at how positive she could be and how she could go from one mood to another so easily. She was always so happy and kind even though she was treated unfairly and horribly every single day.
You sighed inwardly, feeling extremely sorry and guilty for the way your family treated her, even calling her Cinderella just because she slept near the fireplace to keep warm. It infuriated you at how mean they were.
You sneaked a quick glance at the girl before returning to your work.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"(Y/N)!! Psst, (Y/N)!! Over here!!", you heard M'gann hiss urgently.
You whipped your head around to see M'gann grinning so widely like she was going to explode with excitement. You cocked a brow as she gestured you over to her.
"(Y/N), look at this!!", her sentence ending in a squeal when you had walked to her side.
She held out a letter with a red seal. Your eyes widened. A royal red seal. Your eyes scanned the letter curiously.
"Sh-Should we open it?", M'gann inquired, eyes sparkling with excitement that was going to burst.
"Yes, we should open it now.", you grinned.
M'gann fumbled with the letter before successfully opening it. She took out then parchment inside the letter, unfurling it. Your eyes surfed the paper hurriedly. You felt yourself slowly flood with excitement.
To the (L/N) family,
We are pleased to announce that you have been invited to the royal ball of 1697. The prince, Conner Kon-El Kent, is searching for a suitable bride to rule the kingdom in the future by his side. All ladies are welcome to seek the prince's hand in marriage.
The ball will start at 8 o'clock at night and end at 1 o'clock in the morning. Please wear suitable clothing for the royal ball. Dress formally.
Thank you for your service,
Sincerely,
Your royal highness, King Clark Kent
(Ignore the superman part)
Your heart crept with excitement and happiness.
"A royal ball, M'gann! Imagine the lights, the music, the food!!", you squealed.
"And the dresses, the shoes, the jewelry!!", M'gann added excitedly.
An icy cough interrupted your conversation.
"Mother!", you gasped, whipping around.
She raised a brow and plucked the invitation out of M'gann's hands harshly. Her eyes widened and gleamed with greed and selfishness as she scanned through the letter.
"Yes... yes, this is wonderful.", she said, smirking evilly.
Your sister came plodding over to you. She looked over your mother's shoulder, looking through the letter as well. Her eyes widened as she let out an ear-deafening, high pitched scream of excitement.
You winced at her volume, M'gann doing the same.
"Mother!! They're offering the prince's hand in MARRIAGE!! I shall surely be his bride!!", (E/S/N) exclaimed dramatically, making you mentally roll your eyes so far that they were surely at the back of your head right now.
"You wish.", you grumbled silently, folding your arms.
"I have made a decision.", your mother declared, folding the letter.
"WE shall go to the royal ball. Surely (E/S/N) will win the prince over with her charms and gracefulness.", you mother said, making you mentally roll your eyes again.
Typical of your mother. You mother favored (E/S/N) best because she was her firstborn and most like her. Even if your sister had the gracefulness of an ox and the charms of a mosquito.
Then, your eyes lit up in sudden realization, "We? As in, all of us will go? Including M'gann??"
Your mother raised an eyebrow and eyed M'gann in her apron and rags. M'gann shrunk under her freezing gaze, not meeting your mother's eyes.
"She does not have a suitable dress. I will not let the royal family think we are peasants.", your mother snapped.
You deflated rapidly, "B-But, Mother-"
Your mother shot you a hard glare, "You dare question my actions?"
You recoiled, "No, Mother."
"Good.", she said and grabbing your arm, starting to walk away from M'gann along with your sister.
You sneaked a glance at M'gann, who looked sad and disappointed. Well, she was obviously disappointed!! Your mother was so unfair.
"I will make you girls the bells of the ball. Surely at least one of you will win the prince over.", you mother smirked greedily.
"Obviously it will be me!!", (E/S/N) snorted, "I'm more beautiful than (Y/N), obviously."
You closed your eyes while gritting your teeth, keeping yourself from lashing out.
"Of course, sister.", you seethed through your gritted teeth.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"Mother!! Must I wear this?", you questioned, looking at the mirror in disgust.
Your hair was tied up with multiple feathers and hair clips and your dress was poufy and big. You were covered in so many jewels and glitter that you could be mistaken for a disco ball. (E/S/N)'s was no better, but she liked it. How could she LIKE it?!
"Do not question me, young lady, whether you like it or not!", you mother commanded.
You let out a small sigh and started at you reflection. You shot a quick glance at your family before starting to fix yourself.
Your mother saw and shook her head unapprovingly, but did nothing to stop you. Perhaps she just gave up or maybe she was too tired with your sister's dress to care. But who CARES about her.
You ended up plucking out almost all of the feathers and hair clips in your hair, only leaving one of each, also tying your hair into an elegant bun. You stepped towards your closet and picked out another dress; one with less glitter and jewels on it.
After you finished changing, you felt very satisfied with the outcome.
(your dress!! but you can change it, if you want)
You saw your mother roll her eyes, "Fine. Wear that, that thing. At least you're still pretty enough."
(E/S/N) stifled a snort at your mother's comment, but you paid no attention. You liked the outcome and you were sticking to it.
"Mother!! The carriage has arrived!", (E/S/N) squealed loudly, interrupting you in your daze.
Your mother smiled coyly, "Come now, girls. Time to go."
You all started walking down the staircase, being careful not to trip on your dresses. When you reached the door, M'gann's small voice filled the room.
"Stepmother?"
You all turned around to see M'gann in a stunning dark green dress that reached the floor. She had let her hair down, which looked perfect to you.
Your mother's coy smile faded as she eyed M'gann up and down.
"I-I have a suitable dress for the ball now... may I go with you now?", M'gann asked nervously, toying with the skirt of her dress.
"Oh... well... look at you, dear.", your mother said, gesturing up and down.
"Hey... isn't that MY string of pearls!?", (E/S/N) gasped angrily, stomping over to M'gann and ripping the pearl necklace off M'gann's neck.
"(E/S/N)!!", you exclaimed, racing over to them both.
"And that's part of my dress! You thief!!", your sister ignored you furiously.
She started ripping off M'gann dress while you tried to stop her. You had pulled at her arm, tugged her backwards, but she was so infuriated and strong. You just couldn't stop her. Your mother was no help, as she was watching the scene, smirking to herself contently.
Finally, your sister had ripped M'gann beautiful dress into shreds, and her dress was like rags, ripped along all the edges.
M'gann's eyes flooded with tears as she raced out of the room without a word.
"(E/S/N)!! Why would you do that?!", you scolded your sister, fuming inside.
"Ah, but she did the right thing. We couldn't have let Cinderella come to the ball with us, of course.", your mother laughed evilly.
"B-But-"
"Do not question me. What. Have I said. About questioning me?"
"I'm sorry, Mother..."
"Good."
Your mother grabbed both yours and your sister's arms, dragging you to the carriage.
"Now come along, ladies. WE have a ball to attend to.", she announced as you took one last behind you before stepping into the carriage.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"Who is THAT?!"
"Oh my goodness, she's gorgeous."
"Where did she get that dress?!"
"She's too pretty! I have no chance with the prince now..."
You began to grow curious at all the comments and turned around. The girl they were talking about was wearing a dark red dress with white jewels dancing upon the skirt. And the girl had her hair down which looked like... M'gann!
Your eyes widened.
"Who is that?", your mother inquired angrily, spotting M'gann.
They don't recognize her? But it's so obvious!, you thought to yourself, cocking a brow.
"Ugh, forget her, the prince is going to fall in love with ME!", (E/S/N) snorted, folding her arms and sticking her nose in the air snobbishly.
"Um, I'm going to go get some punch.", you excused yourself, slipping away into the crowd.
Your eyes surfed the crowd hurriedly, trying to spot the red-hair. You suddenly spotted her fiery, red hair and squeezed your way towards her.
"'Scuse me."
"Sorry!"
"Excuse me, sorry!"
You finally reached her and set a hand on her shoulder, spinning her around to look at you.
"M'gann!! How??", you gaped at her.
Her eyes sparkled as a smile curled her lips, "This may sound crazy, but I have a fairy godmother!!"
You blinked, "A-A fairy godmother?!"
She nodded furiously, waiting for your reaction.
"That is something that sounds impossible, but right now, that's the only thing that makes sense, so ok!!", you beamed at her.
M'gann let out a squeal, grabbing your hands and bouncing up and down slightly.
"Isn't this ball amazing?", you breathed out.
"It's even more beautiful than how I had imagined it to be.", M'gann replied, almost breathlessly.
You both locked gazes and giggled together. It truly was a dream come true. But now it was time to move to another character.
Prince Conner Kon-El Kent.
He was bored and slightly miffed that his parent's were making him attend this boring ball. And marrying a random girl he didn't even know?? That was crazy!
I know, I know, he's a prince! He's going to marry a beautiful princess! How lucky is that?! The answer is; not at all.
He didn't want to find a bride in a ball. He wanted to get to know someone before dating her, let alone marrying her! But he had no choice but to do this since the kingdom would need a new king and queen soon.
Conner let out a small sigh, attracting the attention of his closest friends, Bartholomew Henry Allen and Timothy Jackson Drake.
"What's up buddy, why so low? You look so in the mode.", Bart commented, putting a arm around the prince's shoulder.
"Yeah! You're a prince, and you get to marry whichever beautiful girl you choose! What's there to be sad about?", Tim added.
"You know... I want to get to know someone before marrying them!!", Conner sighed, folding his arms.
"And you can get to know her after you marry her! How perfect is that?!", Bart exclaimed, spreading his arms out to gesture to all the girls blushing and swooning at Conner.
Conner rolled his eyes, "You know it doesn't work that way."
"Who can blame him? It's like he's from a whole other era.", Tim said, shrugging.
"Exactly-wait, what? Is that supposed to be an insult or something??"
"Nothing, bro, just kidding."
Conner shook his head at the two boys and returned to gazing at random strangers coming up to him and bowing. Conner's eyes scanned the room and landed on two girls. One (H/C) haired one and one with ginger hair.
They were the only girls who weren't paying attention to him, which caught his interest the most. His eyes wandered over to the (H/C) haired before settling on the ginger.
He cocked his head to the side, observing her from afar.
No, wait, no this was wrong, but he had that urge to go and ask her to dance. Everyone else was doing so. Might as well do something at this ball, at least.
"It is now time for the royal dance. The prince will choose a lady to dance with.", a voice interrupted the chatter.
The ballroom went silent before thousands of girls started screaming, 'PICK ME, PICK ME!!' Yeah.... no...
Conner swallowed his saliva before stepping off the short platform he was standing on and started walking over to the ginger haired girl.
Your eyes widened as the prince crept closer to you and M'gann.
"Oh my gosh, M'gann, is he going to ask you to dance?!", you whisper/squealed to M'gann, who seemed stunned by your sentence.
"W-What? But-", she started to quickly stutter, whipping her head around to see another guy behind her talking to another person you didn't know.
Your eyes widened, "You fancy that guy?? Oh no-"
You were soon cut off by the prince brushing past you, his eyes on M'gann and only M'gann. You blinked as the red head desperately looked anywhere but at the prince with no avail. The prince tapped her shoulder, bowed, and held out his hand, smiling ever so slightly.
"May I have this dance?"
All the girls gasped except you and M'gann.
"Um, I, a-alright...", M'gann finally blurted out, taking the prince's hand as he led her to the dance floor.
You furrowed your eyebrows worriedly, taking a quick glance at the guy M'gann was just looking at seconds ago. His eyes were fixated on M'gann, his lips were formed into a small pout. Your lips curled into a smirk at his obvious displeasure at the prince dancing with your stepsister.
You were so lost in you thoughts that you took no notice when M'gann had been led outside to the garden by the prince. You suddenly felt a warm hand on your shoulder, making you whip your head around to see the guy you had just been looking at a minute ago.
"I don't mean to intrude, but was that girl with red hair friends with you?", he asked you curiously.
You nodded, "Yes, she's my stepsister."
"W-What's her name?"
"Her name is M'gann M'orzz, and she seemed to have took interest to you as well.", you smirked.
"R-Really? But... the prince has taken interest to her too...", the man said glumly.
"That doesn't mean she'll fancy him. I'm (Y/N) (L/N). What's your name?"
"La'gann, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."
"La'gann!! Over here!", another voice called out.
La'gann blinked before smiling at you, "Well, (Y/N), it was a pleasure to meet you. I'll see you soon."
You smiled at him warmly, waving your hand as he started walking towards his friend. Your eyes wandered over to the dance floor and you were stunned to see M'gann and the prince gone. They had vanished completely and you hadn't seen.
You let out a groan, dragging your feet to go and search for them. You couldn't miss out on such a moment!
You crept towards the garden gate to see two figures sitting near the fountain. You sneaked closer to see your stepsister with the prince laughing together, but the atmosphere was still tense and awkward..
"...And so, that's why I hate monkeys. True story.", the prince, Conner, trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
M'gann covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle her uncontrollable giggles, "Th-That's hilarious!!"
The prince let out a small laugh, "I suppose it is."
Silence overtook the scene as you silently watched them. Maybe you shouldn't be here, and maybe this was spying, but for that moment you didn't really care. You just wanted to wait and see what would happen.
But time didn't want to fulfill your wishes. The grand clock inside the ballroom struck loudly, making you leap into the air in shock. You whipped your head around.
12 o'clock, midnight.
M'gann's eyes widened as she took a step back, "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
Prince Conner blinked, "So soon? You only just arrived..."
"I-I'm terribly sorry, but I must leave-!", M'gann stuttered out, taking another step back
"Wait! I don't even know your name!!", the prince called out, reaching out his hand to grab M'gann's wrist.
M'gann swallowed her saliva before wiggling out of his grasp and making a run for the ballroom exit with the prince right on her heels.
You let out a small gasp as they brushed past you, making you leap backwards in shock.
"Oh no, M'gann.", you whispered out and started chasing after them.
"(Y/N)?!", you heard your mother call out loudly and in shock.
"Sorry, Mother!", you squeaked as you sprinted across the room to the exit, ignoring your mother's furious calls.
Home... she must've gone home, you thought to yourself quickly as you dashed down the grand staircase in a rush, not paying attention to your own safety.
Suddenly, you accidentally stepped on your dress, tripping on yourself. You let out a yelp as you tumbled forward, arms waving in frantic circles. You squeezed your eyes shut, waiting for impact.
And it came.
But it didn't hurt as much as you thought it would. Your eyes slowly fluttered open to see THE prince holding you up and keeping you from falling flat on your face.
You squeaked as you jumped up, leaping backwards, "I'm so, so, so, so, so, so sorry, your Highness!! My apologies!!", you apologized, bowing.
"No, no, it's alright.", the prince said, surprising warmly but with no smile on his face.
You averted his gaze just as he studied you, recognizing you, "Wait... you know that girl, correct? The red haired girl with freckles."
You nodded shyly, "Y-Yes, your Highness."
"So, do you know where she lives?", the prince asked hopefully.
Your eyes widened at his strange and sort of un-princely question, "Y-Your Highness, what sort of question is that?!"
The prince's eyes widened as his face flushed red, "N-No, you misunderstand!"
"I'm terribly sorry, your Highness, but I have to go after my stepsister.", you excused yourself hurriedly, running off in horror.
"I only wanted to... return... her glass slipper.", Prince Conner trailed off, holding up a glass slipper in his hand.
He sighed and stared at the shoe in his hand.
"I will find you and I will return your glass slipper. Just wait for me." (Wow, that sounds sort of creepy when you think about it.)
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"Why??"
"It was midnight!"
"How?!"
"My fairy godmother!!"
"What?!?!"
M'gann sighed, "I understand; it's super unbelievable. But it happened!! I swear!"
"No, I believe you alright... but... why wouldn't your fairy godmother let you stay AFTER midnight?", you questioned your stepsister curiously.
"I... honestly don't know about that.", M'gann shrugged.
"(Y/N) (L/N)!!", you heard your mother scream from downstairs.
You winced at her volume and groaned, "Oh, great."
You inched towards your fuming mother timidly, examining her carefully to see if she would lash out on you or not.
"Miss (L/N).", your mother started to say coldly, "May I ask WHY you were in SUCH a hurry to get out of the palace, making a fool of our household?!!!?"
You swallowed thickly, "I-I thought I saw a(n) (F/A) outside in the palace garden, a-and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see it...", you lied.
Your mother blinked as if she were saying she didn't believe you, causing you to started internally freaking out in panic.
"Alright.", she finally said.
You mentally let out a sigh of relief as your mother nodded curtly, "Fine. If that's the reason, then you shall see no more animals."
Your eyes widened, "W-What?"
"And also, you're grounded.", your mother ignored your question, causing your sister to snicker over at the side.
You sucked in a breath and bit your tongue to keep yourself from snapping at your mother as she walked away, a sway of satisfaction to her hips.
You breathed out shakily, muttering to yourself angrily, "What kind of mother is that ridiculous and stupid."
You glared at your mother's back while she strutted away snottily, your hands balling up into fists and clawing onto your dress.
Calm down, (Y/N), this isn't the first time this happened, you thought to yourself, trying to calm yourself down.
With no avail.
But you weren't the type to just lash out and spit out something savage; especially to your own mother. Although, you always imagined it, what it would feel like and what kind of satisfying feeling of satisfaction would give you.
You were sick.
And tired.
Of your 'family's' attitude.
You wanted to change all of this.
Just not today.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"Every fair maiden shall try on the slipper, no matter who she is, she must try."
"B-But!-"
"No buts, Madam (L/N)."
Your mother let out a frustrated huff along with a stomp of her foot as she strutted towards (E/S/N) angrily. The prince patiently waited beside his best friends as they gestured for M'gann to come forth.
"I-I really didn't go to such a thing.", M'gann shook her head, biting her lip.
You furrowed your brows, entwining your fingers worriedly. You knew she didn't want this, and had taken interest into another person.
"She really didn't go, your Highness. My mother told her not to.", you said, hoping for them to believe you and just pick up their things and GO.
"Thank you for your input, miss, but I have specific orders that EVERY. SINGLE. MAIDEN shall try on the slipper.", the one with black hair and green eyes said stubbornly.
"Yeah, we got orders from the prince and the KING themselves!!", the other brown haired one added.
You sighed and shared a short glance with M'gann as she gave you a reassuring smile and a small nod.
"Alright...", you mumbled, knowing that the slipper would fit M'gann perfectly and your mother would be super mad.
"Please, miss...", the brown haired one pleaded while the black haired one help the shoe out.
M'gann shared a glance with you and slipped on the shoe, which fit perfectly. The prince's eyes lit up in surprise as he beamed at your stepsister.
"I've finally found you... what's your name?", he asked M'gann, not sounding creepy whatsoever.
"M-M'gann, but I-"
"You must come to the palace with me. I'd like to get to know you more... and maybe when we know each other better... we could be something more?", the prince cut her off out of excitement.
M'gann pursed her lips and slowly shook her head, "I'm sorry... but no."
Conner's excitement came to a halt, "W-Whatever do you mean?"
"I-I don't really have an interest for you like... well, that.", M'gann said quietly, averting his confused, quizzical gaze, "And, I don't think we really have any sort of special connection... so..."
Conner swallowed his saliva. His throat felt suddenly dry like a tumbleweed blowing in the desert, "Oh... I see. I understand. I'm sorry to bother you, Miss... M'gann."
"Let's go back to the palace, guys.", the prince said softly, turning around to leave.
And so he did.
And you felt a strange, overwhelming sense of sympathy and guilt for him as he left your house empty handed.
"Mother, I'm going to the garden to read a book.", you quietly excused yourself, stepping backwards while bowing.
"There she goes again, reading a book. What's so fun about reading? It's for twits.", you heard your sister grumble. Spoiled little brat she was.
"Alright. Don't go anywhere, or else your punishment will be even worse.", your mother warned before turning to M'gann, "And you, young lady. You are in so much trouble for sneaking out and disobeying my VERY specific orders."
M'gann lowered her head, "I'm sorry, Stepmother..."
You frowned angrily and stepped towards your mother again, "Mother, watch your actions. M'gann is now a very special person to the prince. You wouldn't want to upset the royal family... would you?"
Your mother's eyes widened as she started to obviously throw a tantrum. You were internally smirking in victory when you saw your mother take a deep breath and fake a smile at M'gann.
"Not to worry... M'gann.", your mother gritted her teeth as M'gann name seethed out of her mouth, "There will be no punishment. And, there are many spare rooms... you can take one, if you'd like."
M'gann's eyes widened drastically and filled with tears, "R-Really?? Th-Thank you, Mother!!"
Your mother scoffed and turned away, sticking her nose in the air in a snotty way, "Don't be to happy. Oh, and you're... also allowed to go to town... whenever you'd like."
Your jaw dropped. That was unexpected. But who CARES, it's not like you were complaining. M'gann was practically giving the whole house a hosedown from her happy tears.
"Thank you, Stepmother, thank you!!", M'gann sniffed, bowing too many times to count.
"Alright, alright. Now leave my sight.", your mother waved her hand, not even giving M'gann a small glance.
"Yes, Stepmother, as you wish.", M'gann said cheerfully, not even a bit fazed by your mother's bitter tone.
You grinned at her when she passed you, which she returned happily.
"I'll be going now.", you smirked, marching off to the garden while your sister threw a huge tantrum and broke into a fit of spoiled tears.
But what they didn't know was that there was no hecking way you were staying in the garden for the whole afternoon. For now, at least.
You crept towards the garden gate, opened it, and sprinted off into the forest. You had overheard some women gossiping that the prince usually came here to calm himself whenever he was feeling down, so you decided to check it out.
You searched the forest, bushing past the bushes and twigs till you saw a crystal clear stream along with a mini waterfall. You gasped silently when you saw a small shuffle nearby behind another tree.
"Wh-Who's there??", you asked fearfully.
You heard a yelp from behind the tree and flinched slightly.
"I should be asking the same thing!!", the figure voiced.
You recognized the voice almost instantly, "Your Highness?? Is that you?"
Conner's eyes widened, "Miss (Y/N)?"
"Uh... yes, hello, your Highness.", you stepped out of the shadows to bow.
"Please, just call me Conner. We're not in the palace, so treat me as a normal person.", Conner said, the corner of his lips curling up, but only for a millisecond.
"Um... is there anything bothering you?", you asked, intertwining your fingers.
Conner's head shot up, "Bothering me? Well..."
Silence.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked!-"
"No, it's quite alright. I need someone to talk to anyway."
"Are you... sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Alright then..."
He sighed, plopping down to sit on the grass. He patted the spot next to him, "Please, sit."
You hesitantly and carefully sat beside him, ignoring the small hue of pink tinting your cheeks.
"Your stepsister, M'gann. It's just that... I've never felt that kind of... well, attraction to a person before. So when she said she didn't really have any sort of feelings for me, I was kind of disappointed.", Conner confessed glumly.
You stared at him sympathetically, "Awe, I'm sorry that's how you feel. It's really hard to go through... but maybe fate had other ideas for your love life. Maybe M'gann just wasn't the 'one'. And, if I make you feel worse I'm sorry, she was kind of attracted to another guy at your ball first."
"Who?"
"Um, I think his name was La'gann."
"La'gann... from the neighboring kingdom. My competition.", Conner sighed, frowning and grumbling.
"O-Oh, really? I shouldn't have said anything!! Me and my big, chatterbox mouth.", you sulked guiltily.
You were cut off from your little pity party when you heard a laugh. You looked to your side to see the prince having a hearty, little laugh. You were surprised, since many people said the prince rarely ever smiled, let alone laughed.
You were experiencing a miracle.
Just kidding.
"You're really cool, (Y/N). Would you like to talk some more? You've made me feel a lot better.", Conner smiled at you, sort of striking your heart on fire in the process.
"I've got time.", you grinned.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
You met up every day after that. You had fun together, chatted a lot, and laughed a lot as well. You were one of the rare people who made Conner smile and laugh; sometimes even crazily.
Conner's friends became suspicious of Conner's now constant cheerful mood and even tried to interrogate him.
"Ok, why are you so happy-go-lucky these days?! Are you meeting up with a girl??!", Bart inquired Conner, jabbing his finger onto his chest.
"Woah, woah, what do you mean?", Conner asked, holding up his hands to back away from the extremely energetic boy.
"Oh, you know what I mean. Wink, wonk.", Bart grinned, winking and wiggling his eyebrows.
Conner remained blank and clueless, watching his friend 'winking' and 'wonking', whatever that was.
"No... I do not know what you mean.", Conner said slowly, "Are you ok? Do I need to call the palace therapist??"
Bart sighed, throwing his hands up in the air, "Oh, c'mon, dude. You've been totally crash these days, which is totally not normal."
"I still don't get what 'crash' means."
"Whatever, you're acting unusual!! You're SMILING. S-M-I-L-I-N-G. So I just assumed there was someone... y'know."
Conner stopped right in his tracks. Had he been smiling?? He didn't even notice. Although, he did suppose he noticed his mood change. He felt more lighter than before, for one thing. Was it because of you?
"Ah, see? You're smiling again!!"
Conner blinked before shaking out of his thoughts, "What?"
"Is is that (Y/N) girl?! I KNEW IT!!", Bart exclaimed loudly, pointing dramatically at the very confused prince.
"What?", Conner repeated, still confused.
Bart sighed and shook his head, "Wow, dude, seriously. You don't even recognize your feelings when they're hidden in plain sight. Such a shame."
Conner cocked a brow at the brunette, tilting his head to the side. Bart only stared back innocently, as if he hadn't said anything at all.
"Alright...?", Conner said hesitantly.
"Now, go find (Y/N). Boy, you two sure are close!!", Bart exclaimed, almost like he was purposely trying to hint on something.
"Um, thanks.", Conner said, not noticing his friend's strange behavior or what he was hinting towards.
Bart inwardly pouted, wondering how his friend could be so oblivious. To his own feelings even! It was so, very, very obvious. Literally everyone noticed the prince's extreme mood change.
He was like, Happy Bart Sunshine 2.0, Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky 2.0, the Ultimate Happy Leprechaun 2.0 at the end of a rainbow! If you're wondering, 1.0 is Bart, obviously.
But we're getting off track.
Conner shrugged, turned his heels, and walked off to find you like Bart said to. Not because of him, it was just that Conner actually wanted to go see you, NOT because of Bart. And when he arrived, you were already there, chilling with your bare feet soaking in the stream.
"Ah, Conner, you're here!", you said cheerfully as he eyed your feet curiously.
"You wanna soak your feet too? C'mon then!", you grinned, gesturing for him to come over.
"Well... I've never tried it before...", Conner explained, sort of flustered.
Your eyes widened, "You've never tried it?! Believe me, it feels like heaven on a hot, scorching day."
"Come, come!", you smiled, patting the spot beside you like he did to you when you first came here.
Conner eyed you in amusement and sat down beside you, taking off his shoes and socks. He shot a look at you.
"Go ahead!", you coaxed him, and he did as you said.
Conner blinked, "Wow. That DOES feel amazing."
You laughed, "I know!!"
A wave a comfortable silence washed over the atmosphere, leaving you both in content silence. Until you decided to break it and splash some water onto the prince. He stared at you in shock while you giggled at your own actions.
"Oh, so that's how you wanna play? Game on."
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
"Ah!! I'll get you for that!!!"
"Just try!!"
You both laughed together as you threw handfuls of water at each other playfully, drenching each other.
"C'mon, you said you wanted to get me, right?", you teased playfully, pointing at him.
Conner's eyes widened, "(Y/N), watch out!!"
Too late.
You tripped on a pebble while walking backwards, falling into the stream with a yelp. And this was a very deep stream, guys. With splash of water. You were gone.
"(Y/N)!!", Conner yelled before diving into the stream to get you.
He thrashed around in the water, desperately trying to find you. An unsettling wave of panic washed over him as he swam around, his eyes surfing through the water. He took multiple trips for air, but didn't give up.
He finally saw you. Your eyes were closed. Bubbles were emerging from your lips. You looked lifeless.
Another harder wave of extreme panic washed over Conner while he hurriedly swam to your side, picking you up bridal-style, and swimming you up to the surface.
He had a coughing fit as he gently set you on the grass, trying to be careful with your fragile looking body.
Conner gulped, "(Y-Y/N)?"
Does she need CPR?!, Conner thought to himself, a red color painting his cheeks.
Get a grip, Conner, she needs help!, Conner breathed deeply, nodding to himself.
He leaned down, closing his eyes. His lips only centimeters from yours. He finally gathered up his courage and pressed his lips onto yours in a hurry.
(Just imagine Nightwing to Artemis's CPR, 'cause I have no freaking idea how to write about CPR. If I did, it would be SO awkward and weird.)
You finally coughed, causing Conner to leap back in shock. You started coughing out small drops (?) of water.
"(Y/N)...", Conner breathed out in pure relief.
"C-Conner?", you sniffed, rubbing your eyes, "W-What-"
You were cut off by a small squeak from the prince, sparking a flame of confusion in you.
"What?", you asked as he touched his lips and turned so red you thought he might explode if you just touched him.
"I-I just-oh gosh, I didn't think this through...", Conner rambled mindlessly, covering his very red blush that reached from his forehead to his neck.
It was really... strange to see Conner so flustered. Really, really strange. Conner was always so serious or just plain not-fun. But you were sort of pleased you saw this rare side of him. His flustered side.
"Ok, hold up, what happened?", you questioned him, removing his hands from his face.
He felt the blood rush to his cheeks yet again when you made skin contact with him. Why was he so flustered about CPR? It wasn't even a real kiss.
"Um, you almost drowned, I saved you, I brought you here, I gave you CPR, you're alive, and I'm here telling you what happened-"
"Wait, winding backwards, you gave me CPR? That's why you're so flustered??"
Conner nodded timidly, feeling super embarrassed to have you see him in this state. You puffed out your cheeks, trying to hold back your laughter. Small giggles escaped your mouth. Then you started fullblown laughing out loud (hah, lol guys).
Conner just stared at you in shock with wide eyes as you laughed your heart out. There were even TEARS in your eyes!!
"C-Conner, I've got t-to be honest.", you chortled, managing your words through your uncontrollable giggles.
"That is the cutest thing ever. You like me?! I never knew!", you beamed at him, your laughter dying down.
Conner's eyes almost popped out of his skull, "I what now?"
"You like me!", you echoed proudly.
"I... like you?"
Conner's heart was pounding in his chest.
"I... like you?!", he echoed once again.
You smiled.
"I... like you.", he repeated.
"I like you!", he exclaimed excitedly.
You giggled, "I like you too, Conner."
"What?"
You rolled your eyes playfully, "Gosh, Conner, do I have to repeat everything to you?!"
You grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him towards you, smashing your lips onto his. I think Conner almost stopped breathing from shock.
Bart was gawking at you two from behind a tree along with Tim, who was gaping at you. Yeah... you see, they followed Conner here to spy on you both. He just hadn't expected... THAT to happen.
You know, mwah mwah mwah, lip-locking stuff.
You pulled away, smiling smugly, "You got me?"
Conner nodded in a daze, still not completely back to his senses yet.
"Good.", you grinned like nothing whatsoever happened.
"My mother is probably looking for me. See you another time, your Highness!", you saluted him teasingly, spinning around and walking off.
Once you were out of sight, Bart and Tim cam whirling towards the still stunned prince.
"That just happened!!", Tim exclaimed.
"You just had your first KISS!!", Bart gasped, poking Conner furiously.
"His first kiss! Before me!!"
"Tell me 'bout it."
"I didn't even know!"
"You didn't?! It was so OBVIOUS."
"What? Really??"
"Wow, you're so oblivious. Like Conner. I know you have a thing for Lady Cassie."
"Wha-I do NOT."
"Boys, stop.", Conner finally spoke up.
Silence.
"Wow.", Conner sighed, a dreamy smile curling his lips.
---------------------------------------
Thanks for waiting for this update! I'm sorry for not updating, but I was at a summer camp called VAF; Vocal Asia Festival. It's an acapella thing, and I even saw Home Free there!! It was so awesome, like wow.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I feel like my works are getting so much longer now. Like, right now it's 6861 words, including this, so... wow. Hope you aren't getting lazy, lol.
Thank you for reading!~ You're awesome!! Stay crash guys!!!
BAIIIII!~