Ashes to Ashes

by A Lonergan

  "What is this?" I asked in awe.

  The wench laughed but it sounded forced. "It's a coffyn. Its a meat pie. We don't make them very often. Must be your lucky day." I slid a few coins across the counter. These were gold. Her eyes snapped to them.

  "What is this?"

  "This is for your loyalty and to pick your brain." I leaned back in my chair. I didn't bother finishing the pie. There was entirely too much for me to eat on my own, even if I wanted to. I couldn't curl up here and sleep it off either.

  "What is it you would like to know, my lady?"

  I licked the front of my teeth. "Do you know of the Queen's family?”

  Something passed over the woman's face. "Yes."

  "What can you tell me about them?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

  "I can tell you that they aren't good people."

  "What else?" I pressed. She bit her lip and looked at the doorway nervously before she dropped her voice. A shadow fell over her face.

  "People like that will chew you up and spit you out. Don't go sniffing over there."

  "Over where?" She didn't seem to want to give away any more information. I pressed two coppers next to the gold.

  "They're on the east side of the town. They keep to themselves. When you stumble across their cottage, you will know it's them. There is no one more foul or ugly as the sisters."

  Eleven

  Alister

  Shouting made me jerk enough to cut a gaping hole in the side of a shrub. Bollocks. I had a feeling I knew why everyone was in an uproar. That infuriating woman. I dropped my clippers and grabbed the arm of the first guard that rushed by me. "What is going on?" I asked.

  "The Princess is gone. The castle is being searched now."

  I frowned. "Does it look like she was kidnapped?"

  The guard shook his head. "We aren't sure of much right now. Her room was a mess when they went to get her for the royal breakfast."

  Dread coated my stomach and I felt sick. What if she hadn't run away? But what if this was a ploy to throw them off? She was too smart. If this was all her plan, she was probably long gone. The thought made me sad and worried.

  Twelve

  Arabella

  I watched the cottage from the densest part of the trees.

  It was quiet. It was making me nervous, like they knew I was waiting in the trees. I sighed. I couldn't stay in the woods forever. When night fell, there was no telling what kind of beasts would come out for a nice meal.

  After an hour or so, I collected my courage enough to march to the front of the house and knock on the door. It took a few long, agonizing minutes before the door swung open. The woman from the tavern hadn't been wrong. The woman that opened the door was ugly. Her nose was hooked and swooped down over her thin lips. Her eyes were small and beady but it was the stench that permeated the air around her that had me taking a step back. She blinked. "Cinderella?"

  She poked her head out from the door and looked about. A shrill voice shouted from the inside of the home. "Who is it? We never get visitors!"

  "I am Ara. I wanted to meet my family."

  The woman smiled. She revealed rows of decaying teeth and a black tongue. I swallowed back my horror and hoped it didn't show on my face. "Come in, child." She seized my arms and yanked me into the house behind her. The door closed on its own. "Look who we have here!"

  As I stepped through the door, it was like the spell was broken. The woman that held my hand in hers was beautiful, no longer the mess that had greeted me at the door. I looked around in fright. The home was bigger than it appeared from the outside. Everything about it screamed wealth. The smell went away and I was standing around, what seemed to be, rich Ladies.

  "I didn't mean to frighten you. It is merely a glamor used to keep the town's folk away. Magic can be a fickle thing, but we like to use it to protect us and our home. There are no men here, so you can imagine why we are extra cautious. Welcome to our home. I am Brunhilda."

  I curtseyed. "It's great to finally meet you, Aunt Brunhilda."

  The woman laughed. Her teeth were now perfect little pearls. Her brown hair was piled high on her head. Her eyes were bright emeralds that sparkled in the light. "Please, child, call me Aunt Hildie."

  I nodded my head. "Is it only you that lives here? I am more than grateful to have made your acquaintance, but I thought there would be more people."

  "Here let me take your cloak and I will bring you to mother." Aunt Hildie slipped the cloak from my shoulders and wrinkled her nose at the men's clothing I wore.

  I shrugged my shoulders. "I had to have some kind of disguise. I couldn't give myself away in all of those expensive gowns. Now could I?"

  Aunt Hildie regarded me with amusement. "I suppose not. Though, I will want to hear about how you came upon those clothes, to begin with. You have a beau waiting for you out in the fields?"

  I laughed and shook my head. The clothes had been a gift from Beatrice, but I would never give her up. She didn't deserve punishment for my crimes and I didn't know if I could trust this family of mine just yet.

  She picked up my hand in her creamy white one before she led me to a sitting room at the back of the cottage. There were two others sitting in iron chairs sipping tea. They looked up as we approached and the older one smiled. Her smile wasn't as warm as Aunt Hildie's but it made me feel at home for once in my life. She placed her teacup on the table before she rose to greet me.

  "Hello, my dear. You may call me Madam Tremaine." She picked up my hand and inspected it. "You poor dear, you appear as if you have been starved your entire life. Is castle life not as glamorous as it looks?"

  I didn't want to give away dirt on my family, but I couldn't get past the nasty comments my father had made toward me. Something vile slithered it's way up my throat. "It isn't glamorous at all."

  "Oh! You poor dear!" The other lady bounced from the table. She was much curvier than the other two, but it suited her greatly. She had a sensual face with big bow lips. "I am your Aunt Priscella, but please, call me Aunt Pris."

  I nodded my head to all of them. "I am Arabella Charming, but you may all call me Ara. I am finding it extremely difficult to comprehend why I am just now meeting all of you. This home, and all of you, seem wonderful!"

  "Sounds just like ole' Cinderella. She likes to hold grudges, you see." Aunt Pris said. She found her way back to the table and took another sip out of her tea.

  I took the moment to look around myself. The home was finely furnished with the best items. The walls were hung with elaborate paintings and there was a decadent smell wafting from the kitchen. I hadn't expected any of this.

  "Now now," Madam Tremaine barked. "We will not speak ill of the girl's mother."

  A sour look touched my lips. "I am hardly a girl."

  All three women let out a laugh. "Of course not."

  "What has you gracing our door, my dear?" Aunt Hildie patted the chair beside them.

  I sat down and looked at my twisted hands in my lap. "They want to marry me off as a punishment."

  Lady Tremaine pinched her lips together. "Do they never learn from the past?"

  Aunt Hildie fanned herself. "'Fraid not, it seems."

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  Aunt Pris tutted. "We probably shouldn't discuss these matters."

  "I have a right to know. They would have me ruined by the hands of Prince Richard in Edomon."

  Aunt Hildie let out a laugh. "That thing? Oh, the nerve. You could never marry someone under your station. He may be a prince but he does not deserve the title of King. I would have run too."

  "I don't know what to do." I said, deflated.

  Lady Tremaine looked at her daughters. "I would imagine it would be an honor to house you here with us, granddaughter. That is until we can get your parents to think rationally. I know what it's like to be a mother and it isn't easy, I can't imagine being the mother of the future Queen. We will get all of this sorted out. "

  Hope flourished within me. "Really
?"

  "Of course," She looked at her daughters. "You may have Priscella's room."

  Aunt Pris' face fell. "What?"

  "We hardly have the room for another person, Priscella. It makes sense. You will hardly miss it. You can bunk with Brunhilda."

  Aunt Hildie spat her tea. "I don't think I heard you correctly."

  Lady Tremaine gave me a cold smile before she looked back to her daughters. "You both shared a womb for nine months. You can share a bedroom until I can get a chance to speak with Cinderella. It could take me months to get an audience with the Queen, but I will do what I must. We have to take care of what is ours. That includes family. We will not do to her what Cinderella did to us."

  Aunt Hildie cocked her head at me before she narrowed her eyes. "How did you get out? That place is the most guarded of all of the kingdoms in the realm."

  "I looked for a weak spot." I didn't feel comfortable telling them how I had escaped just yet. I didn't know if I could trust them. But I was going to stay in their home for as long as I could. I didn't think this would be a long term stay, but I also knew how stubborn my parents could be. They would rip me from this place then I would never see the light of day. I kept my mouth closed. I couldn't risk Aunt Hildie or Pris finding out that this could be a long term stay. They didn't seem to be very happy with it being a short term one. Their frowns hadn't disappeared since the announcement. I had lost two allies in what seemed like seconds.

  Thirteen

  Arabella

  A few days had passed as I helped around the cottage. I wasn't allowed to leave in case one of the villagers spotted me or worse, guards sent from the palace. My family gave me some of my mother's dresses. They were a little snug, but they would do until everything calmed down at the castle and we could get a fitting with the town seamstress. I wasn't very confident that it would be happening anytime soon. My parents were stubborn and sooner or later, they would find out that I wasn't kidnapped. I had to be extra cautious and I couldn't take any risks, even though it hurt my heart to do so. I often thought of Alister and it didn't help much either. I knew his cottage couldn't be too far from here, but I couldn't risk losing my family's trust or outing myself. I didn't know if Alister could be trusted if I showed up on his doorstep. Would he force me to return to my parents?

  That was, until one morning Lady Tremaine came flying through the front door. I placed the broom against the wall and met her halfway. Her hair was strewn about her head in a wild manner. I had never seen her so frazzled.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  My step-grandmother gave me a frightened look. "I need to see the Queen immediately. They are searching homes in the village. The guards are told to leave nothing untouched and if they are suspicious to light the homes on fire. They will get the princess, one way or another. I feared going into the market in case something happened while I was away."

  Fear clutched my throat. "I don't think I heard you correctly."

  "A family has already perished! We must hurry! How can I see the Queen faster? I already submitted for an audience but they didn't seem very helpful. They will come here next and I won't be able to hide you. We will lose everything, including our lives. I didn't know they could be this ruthless."

  Panic seized my body as my aunts looked at me in fear. Something had to be done. They had been kind to me, had treated me with respect. They listened to my thoughts and fears. The aunts weren't exactly friendly now, but Lady Tremaine made sure I had the best reading material and even better dinners. She put coals under my mattress every evening so I would have a warm bed to climb into. She wanted what was best for everyone it seemed and my selfish mother had spit on their kindness. I could trust them, right? I swallowed hard. The words spilled from my lips before I could stop them. "There is a grate under the wall. It's a long walk but it'll get you into the castle."

  Lady Tremaine clutched my hands in hers. "Thank you, my girl! This will solve everything!"

  Like a flash, she was out the door and I was left alone with my two aunts. They turned on me in a second. Their faces contorted into something from a nightmare. I gulped and took a step backward until I was pressed against the wall. Maybe I had made a mistake.

  "Do you know what you have done?" they seethed.

  I curled my hands into fists, ready to fight if necessary. "I'm not sure I understand."

  "She will never return. You have given her the keys to the kingdom!" Aunt Pris's hand flew and pain blossomed across my cheek.

  "I don't understand." I held my hands up to defend myself as Aunt Hildie launched herself at me next.

  "You are a stupid little girl!" Nails and fists connected with my face until I was a pile on the floor.

  They cackled. "She was once called the wicked step-mother and soon you will find out why."

  Aunt Hildie dragged me up my elbows and down the hall. The worn floor cut into my knees as I tried to fight her. Her strength was something I hadn't anticipated. She tossed me into the room and the glamor dripped from the walls. I cried out in surprise as the pale pink walls melted off into a gray worn wood.

  Aunt Pris looked through the crack in the door that had materialized as the magic had worn off. "You don't have an ounce of magic in you, girl. You will now get to see the world as we see it, thank your grandmother for that. When she left she took all the magic with her! Tomorrow you will make us breakfast and you will clean the house. Don't try to escape. All the doors and windows were only magic too."

  Sure enough, the window burst into flames and revealed the rotting wall behind it. The bed I had been sleeping on had gaping holes in it and there were no blankets. How had magic been able to make me feel so comfortable? How had I not known? Everywhere I turned there was dust and dirt covering every surface. I tried to scoot away from their watchful eyes in the door but my hand slipped through the floorboards and into a black goo. I let out a shout and the women continued to laugh. I jerked my hand to my chest and a sob escaped my mouth. Oh, how good I had it in the castle. Why hadn't I listened to Alister? Why hadn't I listened to everyone else?

  * * *

  And on it went for what seemed like an eternity. I didn't know what hygiene felt like anymore and the stench of my body seemed to fit in with the stench of the house. If you could even call it a house. My body was caked in dirt and grime, and my hair no longer resembled the beautiful blonde it had before. It hung clumpy and lifeless on my shoulders. My fingernails were chipped from scrubbing floors that had cracks and holes in them. The weakness in my body only seemed to get worse. Food was a scarce thing though they kept me hydrated.

  And no one came. Not one person came to look for me and if they did, they wouldn't recognize me. I looked down at the broken mirror on the floor and my lips trembled. I was merely a shell of the woman

  I had been before. I had traded luxury and fights with my parents with abuse and heartache. Like my aunts had said, Lady Tremaine never returned. I didn't know where she went and I didn't know if I cared if she came back. I touched the cut on my face, but only for a brief second. I was considerably dirty and couldn't afford for it to be infected. A part of me wondered if my aunts had hoped for that in their attack. That I would become sick and die. It had scabbed over well, but it hadn't started to fully heal. It was deep enough that it would certainly scar. My flawless face had its first mark.

  I gritted my teeth. I would make it out of this place, I vowed to myself. I wouldn't be their prisoner to ruin. I would do what I could to save myself or I would die trying.

  Fourteen

  Arabella

  Day in and day out all I could do was clean. It didn't help that I had never been taught to clean. But cleaning was also somewhat impossible when everything was covered in an inch of dirt and dust. Brunhilda threw a bucket of water into the living room and laughed as the grimy water splashed me in the face. It dripped from my skin and blended in with the filth on the wooden floorboards. I had refused to call them my aunts or the names they had requested after the way I had
been treated. My hands were raw from all of the scrubbing and my body ached like it never had before. My aunts were gone most of the day and honestly, if I had to live in this place and had a choice, I wouldn't stay here either. I could have abandoned the work but with little food and no strength, I was no match for the women. They knew if I got work done or not and if I didn't they would come after me with whatever they could get their hands on. The first time I had defied them it had been the mirror that was now broken on my bedroom floor. The second time it was the iron poker for the fireplace. I touched my cheek tenderly at the memory.

  A wayward tear escaped my eye and I choked back a sob. I had been the stupidest girl on the planet and now I was stuck. I had too much pride and it bit me right back. Exhaustion pulled me down toward the floor but I kept scrubbing. I would scrub with my eyes closed. I would scrub as I died. At least until I could formulate another escape plan.

  The front door slammed open and I jerked up, as far as I could, into a sitting position. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and put the scrub brush into the bucket.

  "You're in luck." Priscella said as she approached me with an evil glint in her eye. "Mother cashed out big. We will be eating good tonight!"

  Brunhilda made a face. "No, you and I will be eating well tonight. Not Miss Cinderella."

  I kept my face blank. "That was my mother."

  "No, that's you now, sweets. Don't you want to know how she got her name?" Priscella bent over and looked me in the eye. "We gave it to her as she slept by the cinders. I can't believe your mother held onto it. I guess we had more power of her than we thought."