!
But Queen Thomasine had already shifted her attention to Stepmamá with a benign smile. “Shall we meet in the Grand Hall, Madame ? Twenty minutes, say? ” She did not wait for an answer . With a sweep of her full skirts, she made a magnificent exit . The swirl of stars seemed inclined to linger in the air.
Alas, they were not out of the woods yet . As Queen Thomasine veered from view and earshot, Stepmamá turned on Esmeralda . Venom spewed from her , accented with sprayed spital, terrifying Cinderella for Esmeralda’s very life . It was a wonder Cinderella knees did not collapse from their quaking .
“Ple…please, Stepmamá ,” Cinderella stammered . “Es..Es…Esmeralda meant no…no… harm… ” her voice trailed in a begged whisper.
“Enough . Cinderella, ” she hissed , her furious gaze still on Esmeralda . “ There will be plenty of time to deal with you later,” she spat . “At the moment, we’ve no choice. ” Her voice took on the cold vicious tone with which Cinderella was more familiar . Hands fisted at her large hips, foot tapping the heavy carpet, she demanded of Esmeralda, “What do you propose we do for clothes for her, my daughter ?”
“ I shall find something suitable, M amá ,” she stammered.
“ Oui , darling,” she snarled . “You will be sharing your wardrobe , since you are the one who saw fit to arrange this idiocy! ” She turned on her heel and stormed away, muttering . “ Is it not enough that I have to contend your other afflictions ? Now this? ” Her tirade ended on a shriek .
Cinderella met Esmeralda’s fast blinking eyes and knew at once something important and quite remarkable had just occurred between them .
Esmeralda snatched Cinderella’s hand and led a wide birth round S tepmamá and a shocked Pricilla whose dropped jaw had not yet closed .
They were careful not to run.
*****
Cinderella gazed around in awe as Queen Thomasine guided their small assembly down a corridor much wider than even the one where her bedchamber was located . Luxurious Oriental rugs in deep rich reds and greens topped shiny waxed wood floors . Heavy velvet draperies lined large beveled windows arching to the ceiling, reaching the very sky .
The walk to the Royal Portrait Gallery took them through the most eastern wing of the castle by entry of the Grand Hall . Cinderella was hard pressed to keep up as curiosity had her entranced by brilliant landscapes and still life paintings that lined the halls between the spaced windows .
Detail in the shapes of angelic cherubs with wings hovering above the tallest trees and over sheer and realistic waterfalls, made her fingers itch to hold a pencil . She did not even possess a talent for sketching . It was not long before they entered a vast room adorned with life sized portraits . Natural light filled the chamber where the windows bore no coverings and yet remained free of dust .
Queen Thomasine entertained them with spectacular tales of the k ing’s rise to power in their tiny k ingdom of Chalmers hidden in the depths of the Pyrenees Mountains . She spoke of a proud heritage and the tragedy in which His Majesty had been in line for his own small dominion within the Portuguese borders .
Cinderella, unable to help herself, whispered, “What happened?”
“It is a sad tale, indeed,” she said softly.
“Cinderella,” Stepmamá snapped . “How dare you address the queen with such a question.”
“ ’Tis quite alright, madam. ” The queen spoke in that calm resolve Cinderella was learning to recognize . She turned stark vivid blue eyes on Cinderella . Eyes that still reflected long ago pain . “War had broken out and the entire empire was seized by the Spaniards.”
Esmeralda and Pricilla’s gasps united with Cinderella’s.
The queen cleared her throat delicately . “We prevailed, of course. ” Then, continued . “ He was s uch a young child he was when
But Queen Thomasine had already shifted her attention to Stepmamá with a benign smile. “Shall we meet in the Grand Hall, Madame ? Twenty minutes, say? ” She did not wait for an answer . With a sweep of her full skirts, she made a magnificent exit . The swirl of stars seemed inclined to linger in the air.
Alas, they were not out of the woods yet . As Queen Thomasine veered from view and earshot, Stepmamá turned on Esmeralda . Venom spewed from her , accented with sprayed spital, terrifying Cinderella for Esmeralda’s very life . It was a wonder Cinderella knees did not collapse from their quaking .
“Ple…please, Stepmamá ,” Cinderella stammered . “Es..Es…Esmeralda meant no…no… harm… ” her voice trailed in a begged whisper.
“Enough . Cinderella, ” she hissed , her furious gaze still on Esmeralda . “ There will be plenty of time to deal with you later,” she spat . “At the moment, we’ve no choice. ” Her voice took on the cold vicious tone with which Cinderella was more familiar . Hands fisted at her large hips, foot tapping the heavy carpet, she demanded of Esmeralda, “What do you propose we do for clothes for her, my daughter ?”
“ I shall find something suitable, M amá ,” she stammered.
“ Oui , darling,” she snarled . “You will be sharing your wardrobe , since you are the one who saw fit to arrange this idiocy! ” She turned on her heel and stormed away, muttering . “ Is it not enough that I have to contend your other afflictions ? Now this? ” Her tirade ended on a shriek .
Cinderella met Esmeralda’s fast blinking eyes and knew at once something important and quite remarkable had just occurred between them .
Esmeralda snatched Cinderella’s hand and led a wide birth round S tepmamá and a shocked Pricilla whose dropped jaw had not yet closed .
They were careful not to run.
*****
Cinderella gazed around in awe as Queen Thomasine guided their small assembly down a corridor much wider than even the one where her bedchamber was located . Luxurious Oriental rugs in deep rich reds and greens topped shiny waxed wood floors . Heavy velvet draperies lined large beveled windows arching to the ceiling, reaching the very sky .
The walk to the Royal Portrait Gallery took them through the most eastern wing of the castle by entry of the Grand Hall . Cinderella was hard pressed to keep up as curiosity had her entranced by brilliant landscapes and still life paintings that lined the halls between the spaced windows .
Detail in the shapes of angelic cherubs with wings hovering above the tallest trees and over sheer and realistic waterfalls, made her fingers itch to hold a pencil . She did not even possess a talent for sketching . It was not long before they entered a vast room adorned with life sized portraits . Natural light filled the chamber where the windows bore no coverings and yet remained free of dust .
Queen Thomasine entertained them with spectacular tales of the k ing’s rise to power in their tiny k ingdom of Chalmers hidden in the depths of the Pyrenees Mountains . She spoke of a proud heritage and the tragedy in which His Majesty had been in line for his own small dominion within the Portuguese borders .
Cinderella, unable to help herself, whispered, “What happened?”
“It is a sad tale, indeed,” she said softly.
“Cinderella,” Stepmamá snapped . “How dare you address the queen with such a question.”
“ ’Tis quite alright, madam. ” The queen spoke in that calm resolve Cinderella was learning to recognize . She turned stark vivid blue eyes on Cinderella . Eyes that still reflected long ago pain . “War had broken out and the entire empire was seized by the Spaniards.”
Esmeralda and Pricilla’s gasps united with Cinderella’s.
The queen cleared her throat delicately . “We prevailed, of course. ” Then, continued . “ He was s uch a young child he was when
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