stinging her eyes, and she turned and ran back inside. She wouldn’t cry in front of him. She wouldn’t cry in front of anyone.
‘Cinderella,’ he called softly after her. She turned. He was merely a shadow in the night.
‘I would have recognised you. I’d recognise you always.’ The shadow moved and then he was gone, leaving Cinderella staring after him wondering what exactly he meant.
She was tucked up in her bed, her heart still heavy, when the interconnecting door opened and Rose came in, leaning on her stick.
‘Where have you been?’ she whispered. There was no accusation in the question, only curiosity. She walked towards the bed, and Cinderella noticed how elegantly she moved, even with her limp.
‘I couldn’t sleep.’
‘Were you with the prince?’
The tears came then, she couldn’t help it. She cried for all of them, but mainly for her and Rose and all the trouble her childish dreams had caused. ‘He wasn’t there,’ she whispered.
She leaned against Rose who wrapped her arms around her and rocked her gently back and forth, just like she had done when they were both little girls and Cinderella couldn’t sleep.
‘You put too much importance on love, little sister.’ Rose said. ‘He is a prince and he will be a king and they always do as they please, even if they love their wives as he must love you. There are things you must learn to ignore. You will be the queen and that’s what matters. You’ll be the mother of his children. The rest, well, the rest of it won’t really matter.’ As Cinderella listened, she felt the walls of the castle close in around her. Rose made it sound so easy, this royal life. But how could you live without love? Without passion? She’d rather be dead.
‘I don’t know that I can,’ she whispered.
‘Of course you can. I’ll help you.’ Rose stroked Cinderella’s hair as she talked, her hand running gently over the thick red curls. ‘But it might do you well to love him just a little less. Life will be easier that way. You know, if you play it cleverly, you could do some good for the kingdom. Make life better for people.’
‘I don’t want to play anything,’ Cinderella sobbed. ‘I just wanted to fall in love and live in the castle.’
‘Well, one out of two isn’t that bad,’ Rose said. ‘Life isn’t a fairy tale, Cinderella. I wish it was, but it isn’t. And perhaps he will love you as you love him. Who can tell?’
Rose stayed in her room until she eventually fell asleep, Cinderella relishing the contact and affection. She’d been so lonely. Rose must have been too.
‘I love you, Rose,’ she whispered, as the knot in her stomach finally unfurled and sleep claimed her.
‘I love you too, Cinderella,’ her sister said.
T he prince continued to be attentive to her but she found it hard to maintain her facade of joy when he was clearly keeping a lover secret from her. She checked his room twice more in the following nights and neither time was he there. She’d asked him how he slept and whether his apartments were comfortable. He always replied yes, and she kept the smile on her face even though she wanted to shout at him and call him a liar. By the third day, she took refuge in her room claiming fatigue at all the wedding preparations and ordered the maids to fill her a hot bath.
It was only when they’d left did she notice the little brown mouse that had followed them in. A scar ran along its back and she was surprised at the sudden surge of affection she felt at the sight of the little familiar creature.
‘How did you get in here?’ she asked. She crouched and held her hand out to it and laughed delightedly as it ran onto her palm, its tiny feet tickling against her skin. ‘You’re quite the little adventurer, aren’t you, Mr Mouse?’ She placed him carefully on a cushion on her bed. ‘Maybe you should be Mrs Mouse, actually,’ she said, undoing the laces of her dress. ‘Women are more reliable.’
Her dress slid
‘Cinderella,’ he called softly after her. She turned. He was merely a shadow in the night.
‘I would have recognised you. I’d recognise you always.’ The shadow moved and then he was gone, leaving Cinderella staring after him wondering what exactly he meant.
She was tucked up in her bed, her heart still heavy, when the interconnecting door opened and Rose came in, leaning on her stick.
‘Where have you been?’ she whispered. There was no accusation in the question, only curiosity. She walked towards the bed, and Cinderella noticed how elegantly she moved, even with her limp.
‘I couldn’t sleep.’
‘Were you with the prince?’
The tears came then, she couldn’t help it. She cried for all of them, but mainly for her and Rose and all the trouble her childish dreams had caused. ‘He wasn’t there,’ she whispered.
She leaned against Rose who wrapped her arms around her and rocked her gently back and forth, just like she had done when they were both little girls and Cinderella couldn’t sleep.
‘You put too much importance on love, little sister.’ Rose said. ‘He is a prince and he will be a king and they always do as they please, even if they love their wives as he must love you. There are things you must learn to ignore. You will be the queen and that’s what matters. You’ll be the mother of his children. The rest, well, the rest of it won’t really matter.’ As Cinderella listened, she felt the walls of the castle close in around her. Rose made it sound so easy, this royal life. But how could you live without love? Without passion? She’d rather be dead.
‘I don’t know that I can,’ she whispered.
‘Of course you can. I’ll help you.’ Rose stroked Cinderella’s hair as she talked, her hand running gently over the thick red curls. ‘But it might do you well to love him just a little less. Life will be easier that way. You know, if you play it cleverly, you could do some good for the kingdom. Make life better for people.’
‘I don’t want to play anything,’ Cinderella sobbed. ‘I just wanted to fall in love and live in the castle.’
‘Well, one out of two isn’t that bad,’ Rose said. ‘Life isn’t a fairy tale, Cinderella. I wish it was, but it isn’t. And perhaps he will love you as you love him. Who can tell?’
Rose stayed in her room until she eventually fell asleep, Cinderella relishing the contact and affection. She’d been so lonely. Rose must have been too.
‘I love you, Rose,’ she whispered, as the knot in her stomach finally unfurled and sleep claimed her.
‘I love you too, Cinderella,’ her sister said.
T he prince continued to be attentive to her but she found it hard to maintain her facade of joy when he was clearly keeping a lover secret from her. She checked his room twice more in the following nights and neither time was he there. She’d asked him how he slept and whether his apartments were comfortable. He always replied yes, and she kept the smile on her face even though she wanted to shout at him and call him a liar. By the third day, she took refuge in her room claiming fatigue at all the wedding preparations and ordered the maids to fill her a hot bath.
It was only when they’d left did she notice the little brown mouse that had followed them in. A scar ran along its back and she was surprised at the sudden surge of affection she felt at the sight of the little familiar creature.
‘How did you get in here?’ she asked. She crouched and held her hand out to it and laughed delightedly as it ran onto her palm, its tiny feet tickling against her skin. ‘You’re quite the little adventurer, aren’t you, Mr Mouse?’ She placed him carefully on a cushion on her bed. ‘Maybe you should be Mrs Mouse, actually,’ she said, undoing the laces of her dress. ‘Women are more reliable.’
Her dress slid
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